


Oops...We Did It Again

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Series: The Original Mpreg!Harry [6]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, Pregnancy, natural birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:21:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: Harry and Louis are very happy and very busy with their eight daughters. Harry decides it's time to close the baby factory. Nature, however, has other ideas....
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: The Original Mpreg!Harry [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/293579
Comments: 13
Kudos: 86





	Oops...We Did It Again

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is...story number 6 in this saga. I finished this at the end of last summer, but am only now getting to posting. Hopefully, this will be a sweet winter treat. It is unbeta'd, as my usual beta was unavailable. Please be sure to let me know if you spot any errors I should fix! I look forward to your thoughts as you finish the story. (And not to worry about this universe ending...I already have story number 7 started!) Now, on to the fic... (Inspiration for the title credit to Britny Spears, I guess. :->)

Harry turned sideways and looked in the mirror. He smiled at his reflection.

He had been hard at work for six months. He'd done daily yoga, worn the corset recommended to him by some of the members of the parents-of-multiples club he and Louis had finally joined, and he'd stuck to his diet religiously.

It had all paid off. While he definitely looked like someone who'd given birth, he no longer looked like he'd just given birth to triplets. He was just about back to his old self.

He heard a chuckle behind him, and he swivelled his head to find Louis standing in the doorway to their room.

Harry put his hands on his hips, jutting one out. "Like what you see?"

"I have since you were sixteen."

Harry grinned. "Flatterer!"

"Nope. Truth teller," Louis countered. He walked over to press a sound kiss to Harry's lips.

When Louis stepped back, Harry looked once more at his reflection. He wore only boxers, and he ran a hand over his just-slightly-rounded stomach. "Look, Lou. Six months, and I'm almost back in shape," he stated proudly.

"Just almost?" Louis asked.

"Well, after four pregnancies and eight kids, I'm not sure I'm getting my pre-kids abs back," Harry lamented.

"You look terrific," Louis told him. "Especially after four pregnancies and eight kids."

Harry blushed at the compliment. "Well, I'm glad you think so."

"Hey, mine is the only opinion that matters," Louis insisted.

"Is that right?" Harry smiled crookedly.

"Is it." He shot a look back at the doorway, then returned his gaze to Harry. "The triplets are still asleep, and the others are all engrossed in a movie. Wanna make out?"

Harry walked over to close the bedroom door, then he moved to check the baby monitor on his night stand, studying it intently. "They do appear to still be out."

Louis sidled over to Harry and snaked his hands behind Harry's neck, pulling him in for a kiss. When they parted for breath, he asked, "So you're on board?"

In answer, Harry dragged Louis in for another kiss.

* * *

For Valentine's Day, Anne and Jay offered to watch the girls overnight so Harry and Louis could have a whole night to themselves. The men planned to have a fancy dinner, then check into a hotel for some reconnection time. As much as they loved their house full of daughters, they were excited by the prospect of a little time alone.

Thankfully, the girls were excited, too. Nanny Anne and Nanny Jay were second only to Auntie Gemma and Auntie Lottie as far as babysitters were concerned. They had a fun evening planned for the girls involving movies, sleeping bags, popcorn, and pizza. While Brighton, Lucy, and the triplets--Poppy, Violet, and Briar Rose--really didn't understand the specialness of the evening, Lily, Sophie, and Izzy couldn't push their fathers out of the house fast enough. There was grandparent spoiling to be had.

Louis had insisted on planning the getaway. He drove them to The Strand Hotel, where they checked into a suite, setting their duffle bags on the opulent king size bed.

"This is amazing, Lou." Harry turned in a circle, taking everything in. "I can't remember ever staying someplace quite this swanky."

Louis grinned and shrugged. "I figured for just one night we could go ahead and really splurge. Put those One Direction royalties to good use."

"Well, I look forward to putting that bed to good use," Harry said lasciviously.

"Patience, love," Louis urged. "Dinner first."

"Oooh," Harry said. "Where will we be eating?"

"An Italian place called Emilia," Louis replied. "Absolutely not somewhere we could take the kids."

"Sounds perfect." Harry added, "For tonight. I kinda like taking our kids out. They're pretty extraordinary. If I do say so myself."

"Agreed," Louis said.

They changed into nicer clothes than the trackies they had worn to travel in. Once they were clad appropriately for a fancy restaurant, they called for a Lyft and made their way to the restaurant.

Louis had thought of everything, including requesting a quiet corner table where they wouldn't be disturbed by any One Direction fans who happened to be out and about. There was also a bottle of champagne awaiting them, which Louis immediately opened to pour them both a glass.

Holding up his glass, Louis offered, "To the love of my life."

Harry grinned and picked up his own glass, clinking it against Louis'. "To the love of my life."

At home, meal times were, to say the least, a bit insane. With five mobile girls and three babies, there was always a lot going on. It was a treat to sit down for a meal and be allowed to relax. Harry and Louis sipped champagne and studied the menu. When the waiter came, they ordered mozzarella sticks and fried mushrooms to start, then some chicken parmesan and some pasta carbonara--all to share.

Taking a leisurely sip of his champagne, Harry sighed happily. "This is so nice, Louis. Thanks for planning it."

"You're welcome," Louis said. "You deserved it after spending the last year and a half carrying, giving birth to, and taking care of triplets. I did have a little help with the planning, though."

With a grin, Harry guessed, "Gemma?"

"Got it in one." Louis' grin matched Harry's. "I asked her what she thought you would enjoy the most, and she suggested a really nice dinner and a kid-free night."

"She knows me too well." Harry took another sip of champagne. "I'll be sure to thank her later, especially since I'm guessing she'll end up helping out with the girls tonight."

"I think our mums know how much work eight is, especially with five of them still in nappies," Harry commented.

"I definitely won't miss having to deal with all of that for a whole night," Louis admitted.

As the food started coming, Louis and Harry relaxed and took their time eating, enjoying having a chance for adult conversation without being interrupted by a small person. They discussed the music they were just getting back to now that the triplets were six months old, the movies they wanted to introduce Lily and Sophie to now that they were older and able to handle more than just little-kid movies, and the latest gossip they were privy to about certain members of their circle of friends.

When the appetisers and main courses were all gone, they decided they had room for dessert, opting for tiramisu and gelato they divvied up. And with that, they were stuffed.

They decided to walk back to the hotel instead of catch a Lyft back. It was a gorgeous--if cool--night, and the hotel wasn't all that far away. Besides, they'd eaten enough that it seemed prudent to walk some of it off.

Louis grabbed Harry's hand as they started down the sidewalk.

Harry squeezed his husband's hand and smiled. "Do you remember when we couldn't do this?"

Louis nodded. "I do. That was before you got pregnant with Lily and Sophie. Who would have thought it would be babies that allowed us to come out?"

"Certainly wasn't something I imagined," Harry confessed. "But I'm grateful to them more than they'll ever know."

"Yep. Because of them, here we are, eight kids later, walking down the street holding hands." Louis swung their hands. "I don't even care if anyone sees."

"Me neither." Harry's smile grew wider before he shook his head and blew out a breath. "Eight kids, Lou. Six months later, and I still can't believe we have eight kids."

"And in half the time it would have taken a normal person," Louis reminded him--as if he needed reminding.

Harry's eyes went wide. "Are you calling me abnormal?"

"Well, you did have two sets of twins and a set of triplets," Louis stated matter-of-factly.

"Thanks to your family and their multiple multiples," Harry countered, raising his eyebrows and giving Louis a pointed look.

Louis smirked. "I guess that could have had something to do with it," he allowed. "Or maybe my sperm are just overachievers."

"Big time," Harry agreed.

Louis sobered. "You don't regret anything, do you?"

Harry shook his head decisively. "Not for a second. I love our family exactly as it is."

Louis smiled fondly. "Me, too."

They made sure to walk slowly, enjoying the chill air and the opportunity to chat just the two of them. When they got back to the hotel, they stopped by the restaurant for cups of coffee to go, warming up as they sipped them on the way to their room.

They finished up their drinks sitting on the sofa in the main part of their suite, turning the TV on and finding a music channel. It wasn't long until the coffee was gone, and Louis and Harry were using the music as background for making out.

When they parted for breath, Louis said, "We need to get out and do this more."

"We do." Harry pressed another kiss to Louis' lips. "How did we get out of the habit of regular date nights?"

"We had a second set of twins." Louis slipped out of his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Then triplets."

Harry pointed a finger. "That's probably it."

Louis tugged at Harry's jacket. "You're very overdressed."

As Harry shed his own jacket and shirt, he suggested, "We should get back to scheduling date nights at least twice a month."

"Sold." Louis stood to unzip his trousers. "Now…. About this date night…."

Harry stood up and took care of his trousers. "Tell me you remembered the condoms…."

"I did," Louis answered. "They were the first thing I packed. Too soon for you to be knocked up again."

Harry was just about to pull down his boxers. He stopped to look directly into Louis' eyes. "About that…."

Louis stilled to look back at Harry, nodding to let his husband know he was listening.

"I think I'm done." Harry's voice was hesitant.

"Done?"

"I think eight is enough," Harry explained. "Don't you?"

"I think it's completely your call," Louis responded.

"Well, no," Harry countered, firmly shaking his head. "This has to be a mutual decision. How badly do you want to keep trying for a boy?"

"I think the universe has made it pretty clear that we were meant to have only girls," Louis commented. There was not even an ounce of bitterness. "And, as you said, eight is a great number. If you're done, I'm okay with that."

Harry grinned. "Then you know what you're going to need to do…."

For a moment, Louis looked at him quizzically. Then he caught Harry's meaning and sighed. "Time for a vasectomy?"

"Unless you want to be using condoms until I'm not fertile anymore," Harry stated plainly.

"I really don't," Louis told him. "I'll make an appointment first thing Monday morning."

Louis began to rummage through his duffel bag, finally pulling out a couple of foil squares and a tube of lube. "Ready to use these for hopefully just a few last times?"

"I absolutely am." Harry grabbed Louis' arm and dragged him into the luxurious hotel bedroom. "Let's get this party started."

* * *

Louis was able to schedule an appointment for the beginning of the following week, then the procedure itself a week after that. At his first appointment, the doctor told him that recovery time would be about two weeks, so he and Harry planned a date night for exactly two weeks post-surgery to give everything a test run.

While definitely nervous about the surgery, Louis was way too busy to spend too much time being anxious. The triplets were growing every day, and there was so much to do to take care of them, and the older girls had a whole host of activities they participated in. They had to keep a large calendar in the kitchen to keep track of all the clubs and classes.

The day of Louis' actual surgery, it was actually Liam who ended up going with him. Harry knew he'd be just as anxious as Louis, so it was decided that he'd just stay home with the kids, and Liam would accompany Louis to the doctor's office.

Louis was not thrilled about having a surgical procedure done, but he was thrilled to find it wasn't a big deal, and it was over and done with in just thirty minutes.

Liam sat with him as the doctor gave his post-op speech. Louis was just loopy enough that he was counting on Liam to remember the important stuff. He had always been so amazing at that, and he continued to be even this distance from One Direction's heyday.

When Louis got home, Harry got him settled on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea. He told him the girls had strict instructions to let Louis rest, then he and Liam retired to the kitchen with their own cups of tea.

"Where are the triplets?" Liam asked, blowing on his tea to cool it down.

"Asleep, just like Brighton and Lucy," Harry answered. "It's a miracle. The other three are in Sophie and Lily's room playing quietly. I don't know how long it will last, but I'll take it for now, especially since Louis' coming off of surgery."

"He did really well. The procedure sounded pretty easy," Liam told Harry.

"I know he was a little hesitant about getting it done, so it's good it wasn't too bad," Harry said.

"Hesitant because of the actual surgery or hesitant to get it done because it means no more kids?" Liam wondered aloud.

"A little of both, I think," Harry replied. "I just think we have plenty on our plate. Not that I don't love each and every one of our girls, because I do, but eight was not exactly the number I had envisioned way back when we were casually talking about having kids."

"How many were you imagining?" Liam asked, curious.

"Three, maybe four," Harry responded.

Liam nodded and wrapped his hands around his teacup. "You guys are managing pretty well for people who kept having multiples."

"Thanks." Harry smiled at the compliment. "That's nice to hear, since some days I feel like I'm barely treading water."

"It probably helps that Lily and Sophie are almost twelve," Liam guessed.

"It really does. They're such a big help with all the others," Harry confirmed. He paused to sip at his tea some more. "So, is there anything the doctor said about Louis' recovery that I should know about?"

"Just to take it easy for two weeks," Liam reported. "No sex during that time. About what you'd expect after this kind of surgery."

Harry nodded. As he began to take another sip of tea, a tiny cry came over the baby monitor. With a sigh, Harry said, "Thanks so much for taking him. I appreciate it. I should go see which of the triplets wants some one-on-one time."

"I'll let myself out," Liam assured him. "See you guys soon."

"Thanks again," Harry told him over his shoulder as he made his way to the stairwell and the nursery.

Turned out it was Poppy who needed some attention. She was crying pitifully in her crib and reached her little arms up toward Harry the second she saw him.

Thankfully, Violet and Briar Rose kept sleeping as Harry swept Poppy up and started bouncing her soothingly.

"Shh. Shh, little one. Daddy's here." Harry smoothed a hand down her back. "Let's get you a new nappy and a bottle and check on Papa."

As if she knew Daddy would make everything better, Poppy quieted down and Harry got to work to keep it that way.

* * *

For a couple of days, Louis was quite sore in his nether regions, but by a week post-surgery, he felt raring to go. They followed doctor's orders and waited an extra week, making sure their babysitters were lined up for Day Fourteen, when Harry and Louis had booked a hotel for an overnight. It would be a night for reconnecting some more and for starting a new chapter in their lives together.

The girls would be left in the care of their grandmothers and Aunt Lottie. It was to be an evening of manicures and hairstyling. The girls old enough to understand that their dads would be gone for a night didn't really mind, loving, as always, the idea of being pampered and spoiled.

Harry had booked them a suite at the Strand again, having enjoyed their previous stay. It wasn't often they used their money for extravagance like this, much less twice in the space of just over a month, but this was special, so Harry splurged.

Instead of dinner out, Louis and Harry ordered in dinner from room service, preferring to just be alone for the evening. A waiter brought up a fancy steak dinner with roasted potatoes and asparagus, along with a bottle of champagne. If they were going to celebrate, they needed to do it right.

As they cut into their steaks, Harry hummed happily. "Even though we did get away not very long ago, I have to admit I'm happy for some more alone time with you."

Louis nodded, sipping at his champagne. "Me, too. With everything going on at home, I feel like we never get to talk unless it's about something to do with the girls."

Harry nodded his agreement, then tucked into his steak with more vigour.

After they'd eaten a little better than half of their meal, Harry sighed.

Looking across the table with a tiny frown on his face, Louis asked, "What?"

Harry shrugged. "I just realised that tonight will be the first time in a long time that there's no chance I'll get pregnant."

"Are you regretting that?" Louis wanted to know.

With a shake of his head, Harry said, "No, I don't think so. Just noting the end of an era."

Louis held his glass up in the air. "To the end of an era!"

Harry clinked his own glass against Louis'. "To the start of a new era!"

"Raising eight wonderful kids together." Louis sipped at his bubbly. "Mmm. I do love a good champagne."

"You know what I love?" Harry took a sip from his glass, too.

"What?" Louis raised his eyebrows.

"The look of that bed." Harry lifted his gaze up and over Louis' shoulder to the king-size bed behind him.

Louis looked over his shoulder at Harry's view. "That does look inviting, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded.

Picking up his fork and knife again, Louis attacked the rest of his meal with fervour. Harry followed suit.

Fifteen minutes later they were standing at the end of the white-covered hotel bed, stripped naked and ready to usher in that new era.

Harry made the first move, snaking his hands around to the back of Louis' neck, pulling him in for a meeting of the lips that was passionate, warm, and all-consuming.

When they parted, Louis needed a moment to catch his breath. After he did, he shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that after sixteen years and eight kids you still manage to make me feel like a horny teenager."

"Same." Harry punctuated the thought with another kiss that left them breathless.

This time when they separated, Harry inquired, "You didn't pack any condoms, did you?"

"Not a single one," Louis replied, quirking his left eyebrow. "New era, right?"

In response, Harry put his hands on Louis' chest and pushed him backwards and around the corner of the bed, finally directing him to sit on the edge of the bed. Louis was barely sat down before Harry bent over to recapture his lips.

Still kissing Harry, Louis inched backwards onto the bed. Harry followed, awkwardly climbing onto the bed on his knees and pacing Louis to the centre of the bed.

Both men were hard as Louis got comfortable against the pillows and Harry straddled Louis' middle. When Louis stopped moving, Harry began to trail kisses down Louis' neck, over his shoulders and in a straight line down the middle of his chest. He paused just north of Louis' cock to look up into Louis' eyes.

"How close are you?" Harry inquired in a voice raspy from all of the ardour.

Louis seemed to catch Harry's meaning. "I'm good for a few."

Harry wasted no time in continuing to move south, swirling his tongue over the tip of Louis' dick before taking as much as he could in his mouth. Louis bucked up, moaning at the sensation.

With eight kids in the house, sex was usually a speedy affair, so Harry was deliberate, making a slow assault on Louis' cock. He set a leisurely rhythm which had Louis writhing under him.

Occasionally, Harry would pull off to lick the underside of Louis' length, then he would return to the steady rhythm he had set.

"Won't take much more," Louis alerted him through gritted teeth.

At this news, Harry popped off the top of the lube he'd set on the nightstand. Without having been asked, Louis held out his fingers for Harry to squeeze some into. Then once Harry was again straddled over Louis' middle, Louis made quick work of prepping Harry, used to knowing just how much he needed to do.

Harry kept the pace slow as he slid onto Louis' dick, moaning appreciatively.

He only sped up when Louis requested it. "I won't last very long here, babe."

Sure enough, it was only after a couple minutes of a more steady rhythm when Louis arched his head back and spilled his seed deep inside Harry. Harry came a moment later, leaving ribbons of come on Louis' stomach.

Spent, Harry climbed off Louis and padded to the bathroom to collect a flannel, dampening it with warm water. After cleaning Louis off, Harry slid under the covers so he and Louis could have a cuddle.

"That was amazing," Harry murmured happily.

"It really was," Louis agreed.

"Even after all these years, you're still absolutely incredible," Harry noted, smiling up at Louis.

"You, too, love." Louis kissed Harry's temple.

"Mmm," Harry snuggled even closer into Louis' chest. "What do you say we nap a little, then try that again?"

"I say that's a wonderful idea. We must certainly take advantage of all this bed has to offer, both in terms of relaxation and play."

And so they did.

* * *

It was early on a Wednesday morning three-and-a-half weeks after their no-more-condoms date night when Harry started feeling nauseated while feeding Poppy. He barely had time to put her back down in her crib and run to the loo before he unloaded the entire contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl.  
  
He leaned back on his ankles and tried to catch his breath.  
  
It was still early enough that noone else was awake, so Harry was afforded the luxury of just staying where he was for a moment, trying to recall if anyone else had been sick recently.  
  
By the time Violet's cries pierced the quiet, Harry had concluded that noone else had been ill recently. He must have caught this bug out and about.  
  
Sure in his conclusion, he rinsed out his mouth and headed back to the nursery. Just in time, too, since Violet had woken Briar Rose up, too, so he had three babies to tend to.  
  
When the nausea stopped as the day progressed, Harry didn't think much about it other than to conclude he must have just eaten something bad.  
  
Louis was taking care of the triplets when Harry awoke the following morning just as nauseated as he had been the previous morning.  
  
As he hurled into the toilet, Harry ran down a mental list of what he'd been eating that could possibly be making him consistently ill. He couldn't come up with much. Maybe the milk he'd been putting in his coffee and tea had gone bad.  
  
But the kids were drinking the milk, too....  
  
The nausea went away again, but Harry threw the milk out anyway. Better safe than sorry.  
  
He was rocking and feeding Violet the next morning when the nausea returned. He passed her to Louis, who was feeding Poppy, and ran once more to the bathroom.  
  
As he yet again emptied his stomach, it occurred to Harry that this was just like morning sickness. Not that it could be--Louis had had the vasectomy.  
  
He needed to go to the doctor. This might be something serious than a stomach bug.  
  
That afternoon, Harry made an appointment with his and Louis' GP, Dr. Easton. He hadn't been in a while anyhow, so he guessed this was timely, if accidentally so.  
  
The doctor was able to fit Harry in right after the weekend due to a cancellation.  
  
The nausea continued right through the weekend, seriously limiting Harry's ability to enjoy time with the girls. He took his turn with the triplets whenever the nausea disappeared.  
  
He was more than happy to head over to the doctor's office at the appointed time once the weekend was over. He needed to find out what was wrong and be given a cure.  
  
Dr. Easton was a young doctor who had taken over the practice just a few years ago. He greeted Harry with a smile and a handshake.  
  
"So, what brings you here today?" he asked, settling on a stool.  
  
"I haven't really been feeling well. I've been sick to my stomach for several days now, and nothing seems to help," Harry explained. "I've tried soda and crackers, herbal tea, as much sleep as the girls will let me have. I just keep throwing up."  
  
Dr. Easton raised an eyebrow. He was very familiar with Harry's medical history. "Are you sure you're not pregnant again?"  
  
Harry shook his head firmly. "Can't be. We used protection right up until Louis had a vasectomy. We waited two weeks after that before having sex again."  
  
"And Louis had the follow-up to make sure the vasectomy took?" the doctor asked.  
  
A stone fell in Harry's stomach. "The what now?"  
  
"He should have had a follow-up. Vasectomies can fail or leave sperm available for fertilization," Dr. Easton told him.  
  
The stone shifted to a sinking feeling. "He didn't go back to the doctor."  
  
"Maybe we should test for pregnancy, since that's what your symptoms sound like," the doctor suggested gently.  
  
"I can't be pregnant," Harry insisted. "I just have a stubborn stomach bug I picked up from the kids." Never mind that none of the girls had been ill recently. It was possible to pass on a virus without being sick yourself, right?  
  
"Okay," the doctor agreed, clearly humouring him. "If we take some blood and urine we can sort that out, too."  
  
The doctor sent in a nurse to take a blood sample and some vitals, and he was escorted to the bathroom for the urine sample. He was left, then, in the exam room for the technician to get preliminary results.  
  
In the twenty minutes he was waiting, Harry became more and more agitated. The idea that he might be pregnant again had not even occurred to him. Not for a second. That couldn't be what was going on. Louis had had the vasectomy. End of story.  
  
It was a stomach virus. Had to be. The doctor would prescribe some drugs and he'd feel better soon. This was the only possibility. He would not accept anything else.  
  
His stomach was wildly churning by the time the doctor rapped on the door to signal he was returning--from anxiety, not potential virus.  
  
What if it was something truly bad and not a virus or a pregnancy? He had a husband and eight kids who relied on him.  
  
The doctor cleared his throat as he moved back into the room, and Harry worked hard to tamp down his fear.  
  
"I was right, wasn't I?" he asked the doctor. "I've got a stomach bug? Something I caught shuttling the girls around?"  
  
The doctor shook his head slowly. "No. Um, Louis really should have gone for that follow-up. His procedure failed."  
  
"I'm pregnant?" Harry could hear the rise in his voice. He sounded like a chipmunk.  
  
"You are."  
  
For a moment, Harry was concerned that he was about to pass out. His breathing became shallow, and he felt all the blood drain from his face.  
  
Dr. Easton placed a hand on his forearm. "I want you to take in a deep breath, Harry."  
  
It took a few long seconds for Harry to get his breathing under control. Once he did, the doctor handed him a glass of water.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, gulping down half the glass. "Sorry about that. It's just...not what I was expecting."  
  
"To be expecting?" Dr. Easton joked.  
  
"Ha ha." Harry sighed. "All but one of my pregnancies were complete accidents. Guess this makes sense."  
  
"Shall we do a scan?" the doctor suggested. "See how the little one is doing?"  
  
"Why not?" Harry replied. He threw down the other half of the glass of water.  
  
"Okay, then, let's get started."  
  
While the doctor got the ultrasound machine set up, Harry envisioned the conversation he was going to have with Louis when he got home. It was going to involve a little rant about paying attention to all the doctor's instructions. Liam was not going to escape a good talking to, either.  
  
His planning was interrupted by the doctor asking him to lift his shirt. Harry knew the drill, and in mere moments, there was gel on his still-flat belly, and the doctor was hunting for the baby inside.  
  
"There," Dr. Easton stated. "Still very tiny, but looking good so far. I'm guessing you're about a month along. Does that sound right?"  
  
Harry nodded. "It does." He added a question. "Is it just one baby?"  
  
"Unless someone is hiding in there, there's just one," the doctor confirmed.  
  
Harry heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."  
  
After a moment of clicking on his keyboard, the doctor said, "By my calculations, you're due in mid-December. Fifteenth December, to be exact."  
  
"December is getting very crowded," Harry remarked with a small smile.  
  
"Maybe this will be your boy," Dr. Easton proposed.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I know that will be what a few of the girls at home will be hoping for. Based on my experience, though, I wouldn't bet against Girl Number Nine."  
  
"Well, everything looks good to me," the doctor said. "You'll want to check in with your obstetrician shortly, though, for an expert check."  
  
"I will. It will hopefully be a happy surprise. I don't think she was planning on shepherding me through another pregnancy," Harry told him as he took the cloth the doctor handed him and cleaned off his belly. He sat up when he was done.  
  
"I'm sure she'll be thrilled." The doctor stood and offered his hand to Harry. "I'm also sure you know the drill with morning sickness. Quite normal at this stage, but do let your o.b. know if it seems excessive."  
  
"I will," Harry promised, hopping off the table.  
  
"Good luck with this pregnancy," Dr. Easton said. "And have Louis check on that vasectomy."  
  
"Too late, but yes," Harry returned wryly.  
  
The doctor escorted him back to the waiting room, wished him well once again, then departed to tend to another patient.  
  
As soon as Harry got into his car, he rang Dr. Cantor's office and made an appointment for later in the week. He just told the receptionist he wanted to follow-up after his triplet birth. Might as well give the doctor a happy surprise.  
  
He stopped for some groceries. They were out of quite a bit, so it was time to stock back up.  
  
This gave him ample time to think about how he wanted to break the news to Louis. If Harry had to suffer through the shock of finding out he was expecting when that shouldn't have even been a thing, Louis should have to suffer, too.  
  
He was still toying with several possibilities when he arrived home, honking the horn to signal for help bringing in the new food.  
  
Louis ran out to help. The elder twins and Izzy were still at school, but it was naptime for the baby twins and the triplets. They should be able to get all the food in without tripping over tiny girls.  
  
Louis took two bags, and Harry took two, trailing Louis back inside.  
  
Over his shoulder, Louis asked, "So, what did the doctor say? Hopefully nothing serious."  
  
"Nope, nothing seriously wrong," Harry confirmed. "Just something I have to wait out."  
  
They walked into the kitchen and set the bags on the kitchen island.  
  
Louis moved to press a kiss to Harry's lips. "I'm glad it's nothing serious. Hopefully that means it will pass soon."  
  
"That depends on your definition of 'soon'," Harry muttered under his breath, turning back toward the front door. There were a few more bags to retrieve.  
  
"Hm?" Louis said. "What was that?"  
  
"Nothing. Come on, there are more bags in the car." Harry was not quite ready to share his news. Not yet.  
  
They got all of the groceries stored away just in time. As was their habit, all of the triplets woke at the same time, ready to be changed and fed.  
  
It had taken a little while to figure out, but they'd discovered a good strategy for handling three babies just the two of them.  
  
Poppy was not as stressed out by having to wait her turn as Violet and Briar Rose were. So Harry soothed Poppy for just a moment before setting her back in her crib and picking up Violet. They'd brought in an extra changing table, so Harry took care of Violet while Louis took care of Briar Rose.  
  
When those two were changed and fed, Harry got Poppy changed and fed. Louis went to check on Brighton and Lucy, who had managed to wait for the triplets to be handled before waking up.  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent entertaining the baby twins and triplets and picking the older girls up from school.  
  
All the while, Harry was considering how to tell Louis he was expecting yet again.  
  
Harry knew that everyone would be happy to have another baby in the family. There was no shortage of love to go around.  
  
For as much as he had loved being pregnant--most of the time--he really wasn't looking forward to a fifth go round. His body was tired. And he couldn't help lamenting, still, that he'd just gotten back into hard-won shape after delivering three babies at once.  
  
He didn't just want to tell Louis outright. It was his fault Harry was pregnant again. Harry wanted to make him squirm just a little. In addition, it would be a long time before Louis was allowed to attend a doctor's appointment on his own. (Liam would have to pay, too. Harry had trusted him to be a reliable note-taker and listener. He'd failed on both counts. But that could wait until later. Louis first.)  
  
At first, Harry couldn't think of a really good way to tell Louis. As they watched telly after putting the last of the girls to bed, however, Harry began to get a germ of an idea.  
  
He waited until they were getting ready for bed. He used the bathroom first, then it was Louis' turn.  
  
When Louis climbed under the duvet next to him, Harry adopted a conversational tone to ask, "So, now that it's been a little over a month, how are you feeling about that vasectomy?"  
  
Louis seemed surprised by the question, but recovered quickly. "Still feeling good about it. I think it was the right choice. Don't you? Or are you having second thoughts?"  
  
"Oh, no. It was definitely the right choice," Harry assured him.  
  
Leaning over, Louis kissed him. "I definitely like that I don't ever have to buy condoms again."  
  
"We forget half the time anyhow," Harry reminded him.  
  
Louis chuckled. "I guess you're right. No more accidental kids now, though."  
  
They kissed for a few minutes, then Harry pulled away. "You know, I was reading an article about vasectomies, and did you know that the failure rate is zero point fifteen percent?"  
  
"That's good, isn't it?" Louis checked. "Small number."  
  
"It is a small number, but I didn't know they weren't one hundred percent effective," Harry said. "I kind of assumed that in this day and age they were."  
  
"I guess anything medical can fail," Louis commented, his tone wavering just a little.  
  
"It's important for men to go back to the doctor to make sure the vasectomy took," Harry went on. "You did that, right?"  
  
Louis paled. "I was supposed to go back?"  
  
Harry feigned surprise. "You didn't?"  
  
"I-I didn't know I was supposed to," Louis stuttered.  
  
"Louis!" Harry whisper-yelled, in deference to the sleeping girls all down the hall.  
  
"Well, now I know, I'll go," Louis swore. "And we'll just use a condom until I do."  
  
"What if it's too late, Louis?" Harry asked, working hard to sound horrified. "We've been condom-free for almost a month now."  
  
"We're probably okay," Louis proposed. "Remember how hard it was to conceive the triplets? Neither of us is as fertile as we were back when we first got you accidentally pregnant."  
  
"Three times," Harry recalled. "I got pregnant when we weren't even trying three times. Twice with twins. Then I had triplets. It's been a lot, Louis. I'm lucky I got my body back this last time."  
  
"I know," Louis told him.  
  
"I don't even know where we'd put a ninth baby," Harry went on. "We've got a pretty full house."  
  
"We'd find room," Louis stated. "It will be okay, though. I'll call the doctor tomorrow. I'm sure it's all fine. What was that? Zero point one five percent chance of failure? Almost infinitesimal."  
  
Harry paused for just long enough that Louis started to squirm. "Not infinitesimal enough," Harry remarked wryly.  
  
Louis paled even more. He was now white as a sheet.  
  
Pushing down the duvet, Harry placed a hand on his stomach. "Meet number nine."  
  
"You're pregnant?" Louis could not have sounded more stunned.  
  
Harry nodded. "Indeed I am."  
  
Louis fish-mouthed for a long moment, while Harry regarded him with amusement.  
  
Eventually, Louis swallowed audibly, then inquired, "Are you sure?"  
  
With another nod, Harry replied, "Positive. Dr. Easton did some tests, then an ultrasound, and I got to see the little surprise."  
  
"It's just one baby?" Louis concluded.  
  
"As the doctor said, unless there's a baby or two hiding, it looks like just one," Harry told him.  
  
Louis took another moment to process. Then he gave Harry a sheepish look. "I'm so so sorry. I really didn't realise I needed to follow up or that we should have kept the condoms until I was checked."  
  
After giving a wee stern glance, Harry softened. "It's okay. I know you weren't trying to knock me up again on purpose."  
  
"I know you really didn't want to go through another pregnancy," Louis went on.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I didn't, but here we are. At least it's only one baby this time."  
  
Following a deep breath, Louis said, "If you really don't want to go through another pregnancy--" A finger over his mouth cut his thought short.  
  
"I would never," Harry assured him. He lifted his finger off of Louis' lips. "I think I can manage one more baby. Even if I'm really not sure where we'll put him or her."  
  
"We'll figure it out," Louis said confidently. "Maybe it's time for an addition."  
  
"There is space over the garage," Harry pointed out. "We have plenty of time to get a project under way."  
  
"Speaking of time, when are you due?" Louis wondered aloud.  
  
"You, Gemma, Brighton and Lucy will have company. Mid-December. It's going to be quite the crowded month." Harry just had time to finish his sentence when he yawned.  
  
"I'll bet you're exhausted," Louis noted.  
  
"I'm exhausted whether I'm pregnant or not," Harry said dryly.  
  
"We should get some sleep before one if the triplets wakes up," Louis suggested, reaching to turn off his bedside lamp.  
  
Before Harry turned off his, he stated, "We should wait to tell anyone. I'm not even a month along."  
  
Louis nodded. "Makes sense. We can wait until your twelfth week, when we know things are going smoothly."  
  
Harry yawned again. "Works for me." He turned off his light.  
  
Once the room was plunged into darkness, Louis gathered Harry into his arms, placing one hand palm down on Harry's still-flat stomach.  
  
"I really am sorry I didn't know to have myself checked, but I have to admit that I'm kinda excited about seeing you pregnant one last time," Louis admitted. "You always look gorgeous carrying my babies."  
  
"Thanks," Harry accepted the compliment. "I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to another bump, but I am really happy it's just one baby this time. I barely remember what it's like to carry just one."  
  
"Hopefully this one won't come quite as fast as Izzy did," Louis remarked.  
  
"From your lips...." Harry sniffled snuggled further into Louis' embrace.  
  
Louis kissed the back of Harry's head. "I hope the whole pregnancy is stress-free."  
  
"Me, too," Harry returned.  
  
"You need to let me do the heavy lifting with the girls," Louis insisted.  
  
"The triplets are seven months old. You can't handle them on your own," Harry pointed out.  
  
Louis sighed. "You're right. Still, though, you need to try to take it as easy as you can. I doubt with one baby you'll need to go on bed rest, but you're not even a year past giving birth to three babies."  
  
"Believe me, I know," Harry said wearily. "I'll do my best."  
  
Louis pulled Harry in closer. "I love you," he whispered in Harry's ear. "Thanks for doing this one more time."  
  
"I love you, too," Harry returned before relaxing his body and willing himself to sleep.  
  
They weren't asleep twenty minutes before Poppy began to cry. 

* * *  
It was not easy keeping Baby Number Nine a secret.  
  
For one, Harry continued to have pretty bad morning (noon and night) sickness, way past the expiry date of any non-lethal virus.  
  
They had told everyone they were done having babies, though, so noone suspected anything. Harry just insisted that the kids were bringing home bug after bug. This helped explain his constant exhaustion, too. This baby was a total energy drainer.  
  
Louis became a pro at making excuses for Harry with the kids. He made sure he was available for every event and every play date. The girls barely noticed anything.  
  
The baby must have had the best internal clock of any Styles or Tomlinson. At the exact onset of his second trimester, Harry began to feel so much better. The nausea dissipated, and his normal energy returned. Harry was very grateful for this turn of events.  
  
Harry made an appointment with Dr. Cantor for a check-up and a scan. They got Lottie to come watch the girls so Louis could go with him.  
  
Harry had visited Dr. Cantor on his own just after breaking the news about the baby to Louis, and she had been pleasantly surprised to confirm that he was, indeed, with child. She had done a scan, then, and also confirmed it was a singleton.  
  
This time they should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat. Harry always liked that part more than any other.  
  
When Dr. Cantor walked into the exam room and spotted Louis she chuckled.  
  
Shaking his hand, she said, "So, you just had to show exactly how fertile you were, huh? Even after a vasectomy."  
  
Louis had the grace to blush. "Well, after it was so hard getting Harry knocked up the last time, I had to prove I still had the ability to accidentally impregnate him one last time. The vasectomy was just an added level of difficulty."  
  
Dr. Cantor laughed. "Then congratulations on an excellent effort."  
  
"Thank you," Louis accepted the compliment.  
  
"So," the doctor turned to Harry, "shall we check on how your newest little one is doing?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Harry answered, laying back on the exam table and lifting his shirt. His belly was already starting to round out with a bump. Assuming the doctor found nothing amiss, it would start being tricky to hide his condition.  
  
Dr. Cantor squeezed the familiar gel onto his belly, then shortly thereafter began the scan. Harry and Louis both stared intently at the monitor while she used the wand to find the baby.  
  
"There we go," the doctor said. "Baby Number Nine."  
  
Harry and Louis had been through this enough time to be able to pick out the baby's head, arms, legs, and small, fluttering heart.  
  
"Does everything look okay?" Harry asked.  
  
"It does. The baby is a little small, but not out of bounds. The heartbeat looks good and strong. Would you like to hear it?"  
  
Both Harry and Louis nodded. They were both acutely aware that this would be the last first heartbeat they would hear. Louis grabbed Harry's hand and held on tight.  
  
After a few keystrokes, the exam room was filled with the galloping sound of a baby's heartbeat.  
  
"Sounds absolutely perfect, gentlemen," Dr. Cantor told them.  
  
Tears filled Harry's eyes. Louis looked over at him, his own eyes beginning to fill.  
  
"It's the last one, Lou," Harry said.  
  
"I know," Louis returned. "Last, but not least."  
  
They listened for another short while, then the doctor printed photos for them to show off at home.  
  
"It all looks good, Harry," she assured him as he cleaned off his belly. "Same rules. Eat healthy, exercise, try to take it easy."  
  
Harry knew the drill. "Thanks."  
  
"Schedule a scan at sixteen weeks, and you're free to go," Dr. Cantor proclaimed before exiting the room.  
  
"Well," Louis said, "Looks like it's time to share the news."  
  
"I guess so," Harry agreed.  
  
"We have to think of a good way to tell the girls," Louis declared.  
  
Harry jumped off the exam table. "We could just tell them that you were an idiot and didn't follow directions, so now we're going to be a family of eleven."  
  
Louis had the grace to blush a little. "That's fair, but I think we could come up with something else."  
  
"Go for it," Harry told him. "Because I'm fine going with the explanation where you're an idiot." He made to grin widely to make sure Louis knew he was teasing.  
  
"Ha." Louis led the way out of the exam room and down the hall to the receptionist.  
  
They made an appointment for Harry's sixteenth week, then headed out to the bank of lifts.  
  
On the way down, Louis said, "I'll think of a good way to break the news. I'm happy to cop to making a big mistake, but I think there could be a more fun way to tell the girls."  
  
Harry smiled and leaned forward to kiss Louis' cheek. "If anyone can figure out the fun way to do something, it's you. Can't wait to see what you come up with."  
  
As they exited the lift and walked out to the car park, Louis grinned. "I'm going to come up with something brilliant. Everyone will be happily surprised."  
  
"Oh, everyone will be surprised, all right," Harry returned.  
  
"I said happily surprised," Louis corrected.  
  
"I guess we'll find out," Harry remarked, opening his car door. "In any case, good luck."  
  
"Thanks." Louis climbed into his side of the car.  
  
Harry grinned and buckled his seat belt. "You're going to need it."

* * *

It took Louis a little while to think of the perfect way to tell the girls--well, the five of them who were big enough to have a conversation with--that in December they were going to have yet another baby sibling.

While he was taking his time contemplating, Louis did arrange a visit with Dr. Stone, the doctor who had performed the vasectomy. He sheepishly told Dr. Stone that he had managed to get Harry pregnant again, despite following the two-week rule. The doctor did an examination, and said he wanted to go in one more time to check everything was tied up properly and that he was well and truly infertile now. Louis knew he deserved to have to go through one more procedure after he'd unintentionally caused Harry to have to go through one more pregnancy.

Louis wasn't sure whether the girls would be excited to have yet another younger sibling or not. He knew for certain most of them would be rooting for a boy, since they didn't have one. He knew he and Harry would have to temper that wish with the realisation that it could be a ninth girl, too. He wanted to break the news without getting the kids too hyped, but also without stressing them out.

Nothing outstanding came to him for a while, but at the start of July, Harry's belly had truly popped--in a big way--and Louis knew he had to tell the girls soon or they'd figure it out for themselves. Finally, he had a germ of an idea and decided to see where it would take them. He assured Harry he'd handle the details; he only needed to be present to watch Louis reveal their news to the girls.

Louis gathered Harry, Lily, Sophie, Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy and ushered them out into the garden. They all oohed and ahhed the minute they were outside, for Louis had set up a Christmas tree on the patio and fairy lights around the patio table.

Sophie looked up at him. "Papa? What's this for?"

"Well, my love, this is Christmas in July," Louis announced. "All of you, take a seat."

The girls complied easily, and they sat around the table, looking up at Louis expectantly. Harry took a seat on a cushioned patio chair and smiled, ready to watch Louis work. The triplets were asleep, and Harry kept the baby monitor in his lap, just in case.

"Why are we having Christmas in July, Papa?" Lily wanted to know.

"First, open these!" Louis retrieved a shopping bag from behind a bush and handed each of the girls a gift bag. "Take turns. Lily, you can go first."

Lily dove into her bag and pulled out nine coloured pencils decorated with her favourite superheroes. "Cool!" Remembering her manners, she added, "Thank you, Papa."

"You're welcome. Sophie, your turn," Louis directed.

Sophie lifted the white tissue from the top of her bag, finding nine small bouncy balls, all different colours and sizes. "Wow. Thank you, Papa."

"Okay, Iz, you're up," Louis said.

Izzy tore into her bag, finding nine sparkly coloured markers. "Oooh. Pretty, Papa."

"Brighton, open yours," Louis urged.

Brighton giggled and tipped her bag over, spilling out nine small containers of Play Doh. "It's clay!" she cried happily.

"It is," Louis confirmed. Turning to the last little girl at the table, he told her, "Lucy, it's your turn."

Lucy daintily took out the tissue from the top of the bag, much as Sophie had. One at a time, she pulled out nine small animal figurines. "Look, Papa, a lion, a giraffe, and an elephant!"

Louis chuckled, watching the girls look at each other's gifts. He exchanged a look with Harry, and Harry gave him a huge grin and a thumb's up.

"So, Papa, why are we getting all this in July?" Sophie inquired, echoing her twin's question from a little while earlier.

Louis returned a question for a question. "Well, what do all of your gifts have in common?"

All the girls thought hard for a few seconds, looking from their own gift to the gifts given to their sisters. They all had furrowed brows as they worked through the question Louis had posed.

Sophie was the first one with a guess. "They're all toys?"

"No," Lily countered. "I got pencils and Izzy got markers. Those aren't toys."

"Things that are fun?" Izzy tried, looking up at Louis hopefully.

"They are all fun," Louis confirmed, "but that's not the important thing they have in common."

The older three girls continued to puzzle over the gifts, while Brighton and Lucy just started to play with theirs.

"They're all colourful?" Lily tried.

"Indeed they are," Louis stated. "Keep guessing. There's something else."

He could tell they were starting to get a little frustrated, so he decided a clue was in order. "You might want to use maths to figure out what they have in common."

Izzy immediately began counting bags. "There are five bags!" she called out.

"Not what I'm looking for. Keep working the problem," Louis encouraged them.

It was Sophie who finally figured it out. She started counting how many balls she had, then how many pencils Lily had, then she counted Izzy's markers. "There are nine!" she exclaimed.

Lily quickly counted the baby twins' Play Doh and tiny animal figures. "There are nine of Brighton and Lucy's, too."

"Bingo!" Louis shouted happily. "That's the answer. Nine!"

All five girls regarded him quizzically, Brighton and Lucy, especially. The three-and-a-half year olds were not really great at counting yet, so _nine_ didn't have much meaning. Izzy, at almost-six, was pretty good at counting, but still working on connecting an amount to a number. She was clearly trying to sort it out in her brain, her little tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she carefully counted her markers.

He was really counting on Lily and Sophie. At twelve, they were his best hope. However, the confused looks on their faces told him he might want to give them a little more help.

"Okay, girls. Time for a hint. You each got nine things for Christmas in July. What if I told you nine was going to be a very important number this coming Christmas?" Louis inquired. "What if eight was the important number now?"

He could practically see the wheels turning in the heads of the older twins. Finally, Lily gasped. "There are eight of us!"

Louis grinned. "Yes!"

Sophie's gasp was practically identical to Lily's. "We're going to be nine in December? Are we getting a puppy?"

Lily and Izzy were as excited as Sophie by this idea and immediately set about talking about what kind they wanted.

"Golden retriever!" shouted Lily.

"I want a beagle," shared Sophie.

"A black puppy with white spots!" Izzy declared.

"Puppy! Puppy!" Brighton and Lucy simultaneously chanted.

Harry was practically doubled over with laughter by now, tears streaming down his face.

"Hold up!" Louis yelled over all them, and they all stopped to stare at him--even Harry. He smiled apologetically. "We're not getting a dog."

"Are we getting a kitty?" Izzy asked, eyes wide.

Louis shook his head realising he was going to have to spell this out for them. "No. In December Daddy is having another baby."

All five girls turned their heads to look at Harry, who was grinning from eat to ear. "Surprise!"

"Is it really true?" Sophie wondered aloud.

Harry stood and turned sideways. He pressed down the bottom of his t-shirt so the girls could see the bump below. "It's really true. Come the end of this year, we will have one more December baby in the family."

"Can it be a boy, Daddy?" Izzy requested. "We want a boy."

"We can't make any promises," Louis interjected. "No matter what it is, we are going to love him or her just as much as we love all of you."

"Are we going for ten?" Lily inquired. "It would be cool to have ten of us."

Harry fielded this one. "No. This will be the last time I'm pregnant."

"Aww," Lily, Sophie, and Izzy pouted.

"I guess we couldn't rule out a kid not from my belly," Harry went on. "But for now, this is it."

"What if it's twins again?" Sophie proposed. "That would make ten."

"It would," Louis agreed. "But this is just one baby. Just like Izzy was just one baby."

"Are they coming for Christmas like Brighton and Lucy?" Lily questioned.

"If they come on time," Harry told them, "then they'll come right in between Auntie Gemma and Papa, Brighton, and Lucy. Fifteenth December, to be exact."

"Are you sure it's just one baby?" Lily checked.

"Unless a baby is hiding in there, it's just one," Harry assured her as he'd done Louis.

"Okay," she sighed.

"You wish it was more than one?" Louis asked Lily, surprised by the concept.

She shrugged. "It's just that we usually get more than one at a time." It was so odd to think that their girls were more familiar with their fathers bringing home multiples than singletons.

"Well, just one this time," Louis reiterated what Harry had told her. He turned to look at Izzy. "The baby will definitely need your help, Iz, since none of your sisters know what it's like to be a single. You think you can do that?"

Izzy beamed. "I can! I can!"

"Excellent," Louis praised her. "I was hoping you could."

It was lucky that Louis was done with his presentation, since the sound of a triplet crying rent the air through the monitor in Harry's lap.

"That's Poppy," Harry determined. They'd long since been able to distinguish between their cries. "Better go see what she needs."

As Harry jumped up to head back inside, Lily turned to Louis. "Papa, can we play with our things now?"

Louis grinned back at her. "Go to town, love."

* * *

Since it was the last time they could do so--and it was tradition--Louis and Harry decided they had to make two more announcements about the new baby. One to their families and one to the public.

They needed time to figure out the perfect way to announce it to the public, but the family would be easier. A week after Louis and Harry had told the girls about their new sibling was the triplets' first birthday. Neither Harry nor Louis thought Poppy, Violet, or Briar Rose would mind if they hijacked the party for a brief announcement.

The triplets' birthday fell on a Monday, so they held their party the following weekend. It was a proper beautiful midsummer day. Harry and Louis had decided to have a barbecue, with Harry in charge of the food and Louis and the girls in charge of the decorations.

They rented two long tables and one shorter table and set them all up in the backyard and festooned everything with pink and purple. They set up a few games to play--games that would be fun for all the girls, from the elder twins all the way down to the triplets.

Gemma was the first to arrive, bringing her husband Michal. Lottie, Fizzy, Phoebe, and Daisy came next, all in a big group. Anne, Robin, Jay, Dan, Doris, and Ernest arrived together, rounding out the group.

Lily and Sophie were acting as hostesses, so as everyone arrived, the twins escorted them to the backyard, where Izzy was in charge of guiding everyone to the drinks. Brighton and Lucy and the triplets did not have any other job beyond looking cute in their party dresses and having all of their relatives ooh and aah over them.

As soon as they got to the backyard, their families began munching on the hors d'oeuvres Harry had set out. These had been catered, and they looked amazing. Tiny little sausage rolls and pigs in a blanket. Fruits and vegetables cut into fun shapes. Miniature pizzas that the kids, especially, liked.

While they caught up on each other's news and ate the delicious appetizers, Harry got to work on the hot dogs and hamburgers they would be serving for lunch. It was Louis' job to get all the side dishes Harry had prepared ahead of time onto the dining tables. There were American-style salads, like potato and macaroni, along with baked beans and salad. Crisps were brought out, too, since Harry and Louis both knew their girls would ask for them.

Once Harry had hot dogs and hamburgers and some buns ready to go, the aunties helped their nieces get their food first, then it was the adults' turn.

There wasn't silence around either of the dining tables for long. It had been a while since they'd all been together, and it was time to catch up with what everyone was up to. They weren't even done chatting by the time all the plates were clean.

Harry and Louis' parents helped with the clean-up, then everyone took a break from food. The girls played some games with their aunts--and uncle--while Harry and Louis filled the grandparents in on everything their granddaughters were into.

When it was time for cake and presents, Harry and Louis urged everyone back to their seats at the table. It was time, also, for an announcement.

Louis cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, and it took a moment, but soon everyone was looking in his direction. He smiled big. "Thank you for coming today. We can't quite believe the triplets are one already. It feels like just yesterday that we brought them home. They were so small, and look at them now. Crawling around like crazy and showing so much personality."

Louis met Harry's gaze, and Harry nodded, acknowledging that it was his turn. "In just a minute, I have several cakes to bring out, but Louis and I had something we wanted to share with everyone."

The everyone in question traded some knowing looks, then looked back to Harry.

"We are so blessed to have eight healthy girls," Harry went on. "Earlier this year, we made the decision to stop at eight."

Some surprised looks flew around the table, making Harry and Louis both smile.

"Louis got a vasectomy in March so there would be no more accidents," Harry reported. "We were happy having Poppy, Violet, and Briar Rose be our last babies. They completed our family."

Louis allowed everyone a moment collectively say "aww." Then he picked up the story. "I forgot one little detail after the vasectomy, though. I forgot to check to see if the procedure took." He looked back to Harry and raised his eyebrows. Turning back toward their captive audience, he said, "My mistake will be born in the middle of December."

Hands covered mouths as Harry redundantly added, "I'm pregnant!"

After all but the children who already knew gasped, but before anyone had the chance to speak again, Gemma stared right at her brother and exclaimed, "You tosser!"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Always stealing my thunder," Gemma accused, though there was not much heat behind it--if the twinkle in her eye was anything to go by. She shook her finger at him. "Ever since the day you were born."

"What are you talking about?" Harry questioned her, completely confused.

She glared at him for another second before a smile bloomed on her face. "I thought I would be the only one announcing I was pregnant."

An even louder gasp echoed into the air.

Harry's eyes widened comically. "You're having a baby? When?"

"My due date is the tenth of December," Gemma told him. "When's yours due?"

"The fifteenth," Harry replied. He speed walked to her side to wrap her in a big hug. "I'm so excited."

Louis followed right behind him to envelop Gemma in a hug of his own.

Harry looked over at his daughters and grinned. "Girls, you are about to have your very first cousin."

"Yay!" the Tomlinson-Styles girls cheered, jumping up and down in excitement.

That was the signal for everyone to leap up and share celebratory hugs and words of congratulations. Two bundles of joy were on their way, and to a person, nobody could wait to welcome them to the family.

As if they realised the attention was not on them anymore, the triplets started to cry, almost as one.

Harry and Louis laughed, and Harry scooped Poppy up. "Sorry, little one. Did Daddy and Papa forget it was your birthday?"

Poppy nodded mournfully, tears still pouring down her face.

Louis picked up Briar Rose, and Anne stepped in to handle Violet. As Briar Rose calmed down, Louis said, "Would you like some cake, sweetheart?"

Briar Rose nodded and wiped at her eyes.

"How about you, Violet?" Louis turned to look at the last member of the birthday club.

Violet nodded, too, Anne bouncing her in her arms.

Harry handed Poppy over to Jay. "Then cake it is. Then presents. Time to celebrate these one-year-olds."

"Can't believe they're one," Louis commented. "They were so tiny when they were born. Now they're getting so big."

"They won't be the babies for a whole lot longer," Harry remarked. Then he turned to his eldest girls. "Lily. Sophie. Help me?"

Lily and Sophie were always eager to be Harry and Louis' assistants. They immediately hopped out of their seats to follow Harry into the house.

A few minutes later, Harry and the older twins reappeared, each holding a small cake.

Louis, Anne, and Jay had gotten the triplets into their booster seats, so each of them could have a cake set in front of them. Chocolate for Poppy, vanilla for Violet, and strawberry for Briar Rose. All three girls clapped at the beautifully decorated cakes, even as Harry told them not to touch--yet.

Harry led a countdown before their families performed a rousing rendition of _Happy Birthday_ , being sure to fit in all the girls' names. When the song ended, Harry and Louis gave the triplets permission to dig into their cakes.

The newly turned one-year-olds wasted no time, digging into the cakes with their hands. While the adults smiled and laughed, some of the younger members of the group--Izzy, Brighton, Lucy, Doris, and Ernie, gasped in horror.

"No worries, all," Harry assured, joining everyone laughing at the baby girls' antics, "I've made two bigger cake for everyone to share."

There were sighs of relief from the pre-teen crowd.

Harry went back inside for the bigger cakes, setting them down at the end of the table most of the kids were at. He didn't start to cut slices right away, though, instead clinking a nearby glass with the end of his cake-cutting knife to get the group's attention one more time.

"Before I cut these cakes, I wanted to say thank you for being here for the triplets' birthday. I know we have a lot of kids and a lot of celebrations, but all of you make the effort for every one of them. It means so much to us and to each of the girls." Harry raised a nearby glass. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" everyone yelled back.

"Now," Harry went on. "Now it's time for cake."

* * *

Now that they'd told their families they were expecting--and learned they would be uncles at about the same time they welcomed their ninth baby--it was time to plan an announcement for the public. Harry's bump was growing bigger and bigger by the day, and it wouldn't be long before someone figured it out and announced it for them.

Their fans had always been amazing. From their _X-Factor_ days right up to the present, they had been loyal. They had been excited when Lily and Sophie were born, and they had continued to be just as excited with each addition to their family. Like the girls, they rooted for a boy each time. Also like the girls, they welcomed each girl Harry gave birth to.

For this last announcement of this kind, both Louis and Harry wanted to do something special. They both did a lot of research on the significance of the number nine.

It was Harry who came across information that gave him a great idea for their public announcement. He read that the number nine can be considered the number of completion and fulfilment. This gave him an idea.

He gathered the family together one morning and showed them a large piece of poster paper he'd acquired and prepared.

"What does it look like?" Harry asked the group at large.

Lily and Sophie, in unison, yelled, "It's a puzzle!"

Harry grinned. "You're absolutely right. It is! But Izzy, what's wrong with it?"

Izzy frowned for just a second before her grin matched Harry's. "There's no picture!"

"You're right, too," Harry told her. "Izzy, how many pieces are there?"

Izzy pointed at the poster and counted the pieces Harry had drawn under her breath. "Nine!"

"Good girl," Harry praised. "Can anyone guess why nine?"

It didn't take long at all for Lily to pipe up. "Because in December there will be nine of us!"

"Exactly," Harry stated. "And Papa and I found out that the number nine stands for completion. It takes all the pieces of a puzzle to finish it. For our announcement online, we will put together a puzzle. All eight of you will put in your piece, then we'll add the ninth for the baby, making the puzzle complete."

"That's a really good idea, Daddy," Sophie said earnestly, serious eyes looking up at Harry.

"Thank you, Sophie, my love," Harry said.

"So, Daddy, how we will be doing this?" Louis interjected, raising his eyebrows comically.

"Well, Papa, I'm so glad you asked," Harry returned, smirking at his husband's antics. "Each of you will colour in one piece of the puzzle, making sure your name is inside. Then we'll cut it out and make a video of you guys putting it together. How does that sound?"

Variations on "awesome" and "yay" filled the room.

"So, why don't you girls go and get some things to draw with, then we can decorate the Tomlinson-Styles Family Puzzle," Harry suggested.

The girls didn't need to be asked twice. All but the triplets ran off to find tools for colouring. Harry and Louis heard a few of the girls rummaging around in the playroom, while stomping footsteps told them that at least one or two girls had run upstairs for what they wanted.

They all reconvened in the dining room, where the table was big enough for the five older girls to all have a space to colour. Harry and Louis entertained the triplets, and they would help the three one-year-olds colour their pieces when their older sisters were done.

Lucy was the last of the older girls to finish, with Lily helping her to write her name. Sophie had assisted Brighton.

"It looks amazing so far!" Louis proclaimed.

They had told the girls they could draw whatever their hearts desired. They had followed those directions to a _t_. Lily had drawn Batman, Sophie had drawn a castle, Izzy had drawn hearts and rainbows, and Brighton and Lucy had drawn squiggles which might have been people.

The older girls took over the entertainment of the triplets so Harry and Louis could take them one at a time to colour in their puzzle pieces. Their squiggles weren't even decipherable--as the twins' had been--but they were colourful, and that's all that mattered.

When Poppy, Violet, and Briar Rose had all had a turn, it was time to write a big number nine in the final piece, with starbursts all around it. Then Harry carefully cut out the pieces while the girls changed into their best clothes for the announcement. Louis took charge of helping their littlest ones get into dresses or smart trousers.

Once the family was reassembled, each of the older five girls took their piece in hand. Lily and Sophie stood with Brighton and Lucy, just in case they made a move to crumple their puzzle pieces. Harry kept a hold on the triplets' pieces as he gave all of them some directions for how to help him with the reveal. Lily and Sophie tried out a few lines to give, they practiced them a few times, and Harry declared their delivery perfect.

Harry decided that the light would be best for their video out on their patio, so everyone trooped outside, grateful there was no wind to blow the puzzle around. Louis got his mobile ready to record the announcement while Harry moved the chairs out of the way before positioning the girls around the patio table. He situated one triplet next to Lily, one next to Sophie, and one next to Izzy--their puzzle pieces on one of the displaced chairs.

After cueing Louis to start recording, Harry smiled into the camera. "Hello, everyone. It's a glorious Saturday here at the Tomlinson-Styles house. The triplets just turned one, and all of the girls are enjoying their summer holidays." He gestured behind himself toward his and Louis' daughters, who all waved excitedly to the eventual viewers at home.

Harry walked to one side of the table, right next to Lily, their firstborn. "This morning, our girls made a puzzle, and they really wanted to share it with all of you."

"Lily, why don't you go first?" Harry suggested, looking down at her.

Lily flashed a big smile toward Louis and his mobile, never one to be shy. "Here's my piece." She held up her art for the camera, then placed it on the table. She had one of the corner pieces.

"Sophie?" Harry prompted.

"This is my piece," Sophie said, holding up her part of the puzzle. She placed it next to Lily's.

"Your turn, Izzy," Harry stated.

"Isabelle," Izzy corrected, throwing Harry for a little loop. Apparently, she wanted to be a little more grown-up in the eyes of the public.

"Excuse me, Isabelle," Harry obliged. "It's your turn."

Izzy beamed and held her puzzle piece up before fitting it next to Sophie's. Like Lily, she had a corner piece.

"Great job, Isabelle," Harry praised her. "Now you, Brighton."

With Sophie's help, Brighton put her piece down right in the middle.

"I go now!" Lucy called out, placing her art next to her twin's with an assist from Lily.

"Looking good," Harry said. "More than halfway there. Lily, can you help Poppy?"

Lily nodded and took Poppy's piece from the pile at the end of the table. "Here, Poppy. Yours goes right there." She pointed, then helped Poppy lay her piece next to Lucy's. "Good job!" She praised her baby sister.

"Sophie, your turn. Help Violet out," Harry requested.

With a serious look on her face, Sophie picked up Violet's puzzle piece, then stood directly behind her to guide her in fixing it in the spot by Poppy's, another corner slot. "Done!" Sophie announced when Violet's scribbles were in place.

"Last, but not least, Izzy--I'm sorry, Isabelle--can you give Briar Rose a hand?" Harry inquired.

"I'm not sharing my hand," Izzy protested, "but I can help her with the puzzle."

"Awesome," Harry said, biting back a laugh.

Izzy retrieved Briar Rose's piece, then guided Briar Rose's hands to put her artwork in the second to last spot, right next to Violet's. The last corner was empty.

"Oh no, girls!" Harry exclaimed. "There's a piece missing!"

Remembering Harry's directions exactly, Lily piped up, "There are only eight of us, Daddy!"

"We need nine pieces to finish the puzzle," Sophie added.

"Maybe Papa and I can make a piece that's ours to finish the puzzle," Harry suggested.

Lily shook her head. "The puzzle's only for kids."

"Then maybe we need…," Harry reached for the puzzle piece he and Louis had decorated with a big question mark with squiggles, "…this."

"Who's the question mark for?" Sophie asked, right on cue.

Harry grinned and put his hand on his stomach. "This one."

The girls all cheered. Since their initial reaction had been happy, but not overjoyed, it warmed Harry's heart to hear them cheer--even if it was for the camera.

At this point, Louis paused the video long enough to go into selfie mode, joining Harry and the girls by the table.

"That's right, ladies and gents," Louis announced, "we're adding one more to our clan. Baby Number Nine will arrive just in time for Christmas. For those of you counting, this will be our third December baby. Brighton, Lucy, and I are thrilled to share our birthday month with our newest little one."

"And for a change, this baby--just like Izzy--"

"Isabelle!" Izzy interrupted Harry to chime in tempestuously.

"I'm so sorry. Just like Isabelle, this baby is a singleton," Harry added. "I'm not sure I remember how to carry just one baby."

"Spectacularly, Harry," Louis put in. "You'll do it spectacularly."

Louis kissed Harry's cheek as half the girls behind them groaned and half resumed their cheers.

"And…cut!" Louis yelled. "That's a wrap."

"How'd we do, Papa?" Lily checked.

"You are all just as spectacular as Daddy," Louis told them. "Now. Let's go get this up on YouTube!"

Like ducklings, the girls followed Louis back into the house. Harry smiled softly to himself as he followed them inside.

* * *

As summer moved on, England experienced a heat wave. Since they did not have a pool, Harry and Louis took the girls on daily trips to the local indoor pool. They enlisted Gemma to help, so they would have one adult for every triplet. Lily and Sophie were responsible for helping with Brighton and Lucy, leaving Izzy to help whoever needed extra.

One day in mid-August, Louis caught Harry standing in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom. He was in his fifth month and dressed only in his paternity bathing suit, his bump protruding out, big and round. The look on his face was undeniably sad.

Louis couldn't help but offer a quiet, "I'm sorry."

Harry turned to look at him, sighing heavily. "While this is very definitely your fault, I can't say I'm all that sorry myself. I'm kind of excited about one more baby."

"Then why the long face?" Louis was confused.

"I just realised I am going to have to go through another six months of trying to get my body back after this little one gets here. Again," Harry explained woefully. "And I'm already so big!"

"At least it won't be like bouncing back from triplets?" Louis tried to offer a happy thought.

Harry nodded. "That is true. That's definitely a silver lining. Though, speaking of that…isn't it strange to think that this is our ninth baby, but only the second time I'm having a single baby?"

"That's definitely wild," Louis agreed. Shifting the topic, he asked, "Do you want to stay home for this go 'round? Skip the pool?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Harry shook his head. "No. That's too many kids for you and Gemma to handle on your own. I'll go."

"I'll go finish getting everyone ready, then," Louis stated.

"Wait a second," Harry requested. "Tomorrow's my scan, when Dr. Cantor said we could find out the sex of the baby. We have to figure out what we want to do."

They had danced around the topic for a while, never quite landing on a decision. Their dancing time was over.

"I don't know," Louis admitted. "On the one hand, finding out now would be like ripping off the band aid. On the other hand, it would be nice to have one last surprise, like with Izzy."

"The girls really want a boy," Harry told Louis something Louis already knew. "If it's not, do we disappoint them now or in December?"

"What's your first instinct?" Louis wanted to know.

After blowing out a puff of air, Harry said, "I'd really like it to be a surprise."

"Then that's what we'll do," Louis stated. "The girls will just have to consider it an early Christmas present. They don't get to know about those in advance either."

"Are you okay with that? Having to wait?" Harry checked.

Louis nodded straight away. "I like the idea of our last one being a surprise. I just think we'll have to manage everyone's expectations, and remind them that it could be a boy, but it might be another girl."

"I know you'd love to have a boy. I would, too. But are you okay with another girl, if that's what it is?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Of course," Louis insisted. "I love all our girls, and another one would be equally as amazing."

"I think so, too."

"So, are you still on for the pool?" Louis inquired. "You look amazing, and everybody there will be jealous because they didn't look nearly as awesome as you do pregnant."

Harry tilted his head and smirked. "Now you're just overselling, Lou."

"Just stating the facts," Louis countered, grinning.

"Thanks, babe," Harry said, leaning forward to kiss Louis' cheek. "You go get the girls ready. I'll be down in just a moment."

Louis walked to the door. Before exiting to head downstairs, he turned back around and whistled. "You've definitely still got it, Styles."

Harry lowered his back so his stomach protruded even more, running a hand over his bump and grinning lasciviously. "Enjoy this last trip through me being pregnant."

"Oh, believe me, I intend to."

* * *

Now that everyone knew there was another baby coming, it was time to figure out where they were going to put it. They were a full house already.

Lily and Sophie shared a room. Izzy shared one with Brighton and Lucy. The triplets had their own room, and there was no other bedroom in the house other than Harry and Louis'.

They did have a guest room. However, they really didn't want to repurpose that, since they made use of it often. There was a room on the ground floor that Harry and Louis used as an office, but if possible, they'd like to keep it the way it was.

When the baby first came home, he or she could be in Harry and Louis' room with them. It was easy with one baby, so on that front, there was no rush.

However, they knew from experience that the more time given to the girls to prepare them for a change, the better. There was some shuffling that would probably need to be done.

Because this affected the girls much more than it did them, Harry and Louis called for a family meeting one Sunday when the triplets were napping, since they wouldn't have had any input anyway.

Before either Harry or Louis had a chance to speak, Lily piped up. "Are you going to tell us that another baby is hiding in there and it's twins?"

Harry and Louis chuckled. Harry shook his head and answered, "No."

"Are you going to tell us it's another girl?" Sophie wanted to know.

This time, it was Louis that shook his head. "Nope. We told you we were waiting until the baby was born."

"Are we getting a puppy?" Izzy asked hopefully. Hope springs eternally, apparently.

"No," Harry told her. "Not right now, anyway."

Louis cleared his throat loudly. "Do you want to keep asking questions or do you want us to tell you why we're here?"

"You can tell us, Papa," Izzy allowed, beaming.

With a chuckle, Louis said, "Okay, then. We realised that all of the bedrooms in this house are taken. We need to figure out where our new addition will sleep once they arrive."

"I already have to share with Brighton and Lucy," Izzy immediately reminded everyone.

Harry nodded. "You're right, Iz. I don't think we can fit anyone else in your room."

"We should not have to live with a baby." Lily straightened in her seat importantly.

Louis could not keep from smiling. At Lily's tiny, insulted frown, he sobered to say, "No, you two are old enough you should not have to have a baby in your bedroom.

"You could fit another crib into the triplets' room," Sophie suggested helpfully.

"That's definitely an option," Harry agreed, "but four is a lot in one room."

Silence reigned for a moment as everyone tried to think of a solution to this dilemma.

Lily broke the quiet with a proposition. "We could turn your office into a bedroom."

With a sigh, Harry said, "That's also an option, but Papa and I would prefer to keep that an office if we can, especially since it's on the ground floor."

There was more silent contemplation.

"What about the guest room?" Lily tried again.

"At some point we may need to consider using that as a kid room," Harry conceded, "but I think we'd like to keep it as it is if we can."

"Oooh," Sophie squealed. "Maybe we could turn the attic into a bedroom for Lily and me."

"Hm," Louis mused, looking over at Harry with raised eyebrows.

Harry's brows were also raised. "That's not a bad idea. What do you think, Lily?"

"I think that would be wicked cool," Lily replied most enthusiastically.

With a chuckle, Harry told Louis, "No more American films for her."

"Can we do it, Daddy?" Sophie begged. "Pleeeeease?"

"It would have to be cleaned out," Harry said.

"We can do that," Sophie vowed.

"Daddy and I would help, especially since we know there's a lot up there that needs to be sorted through," Louis stated. "But you two would need to do a lot of the work."

"We can do that," Lily echoed her twin.

"Then what do you think, H?" Louis turned to his husband.

"I think if they're willing to help make it habitable, then that's a great solution. We can turn their room into a nursery," Harry concluded.

"Can we paint the attic?" Lily wanted to know.

"Oooh," Sophie reprised her squeal from a few minutes earlier. "Pink! We could colour it pink!"

"No, not pink," Lily scoffed. "I think we should paint it black."

Sophie scrunched up her face at the mere thought. "No. That's way too dark. I want pink!"

Before a fight could break out between the girls, Louis stood up and held a hand out in front of both of the elder twins. "It's too soon to be thinking of paint colours. You need to get the attic in a liveable state, then we can discuss paint colours. Okay?"

Lily and Sophie sighed in unison. "Okay," they agreed simultaneously.

"So," Izzy began slowly, "the baby will have its own room?"

Harry nodded. "For now it will. Why?"

"It's a single, right?" she checked.

"Yep, just like you," Harry confirmed.

"Then I should have my own room, too, since I'm a single, too," Izzy reasoned in her almost-six-year-old way.

"I can see how that makes sense," Louis interjected. "Where would you like your single room to be?"

Izzy thought about this carefully, then thought about it some more. As usual, her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. Louis and Harry grinned at each other while she did her mental gymnastics, knowing she was going to be hard-pressed to come up with a space for her single room.

Finally, she asked, "Can I have the office? I'm big. I can be on the ground floor by myself."

"Sorry, Iz," Louis said, frowning in sympathy, "we need to keep the office."

Izzy pouted, frustrated at not being able to think of a solution. "Guest room?" she ventured.

Harry and Louis both shook their heads. "Still keeping that as is," Louis said.

"Hey, Izzy, I have an idea," Harry told her. Something had just occurred to him. "How about you stick with Brighton and Lucy for now, but when the baby gets bigger, you can move to share with them? A room for singles."

"Even if it's a boy?" Izzy questioned.

"Why not? You can share with a boy," Harry insisted. When they got older, that might change, but by that time, Lily and Sophie would be on their way to university, and they'd have more room.

"And remember, it might be a girl," Louis put in, wanting to keep that idea out there. Manage expectations.

Izzy mulled the idea over in her head for a brief time before she nodded and smiled. "Okay. I'll share with the baby when it's big."

Harry was well aware that she might change her mind when she was ten and the baby was four, but this pre-arrangement bought them some precious time.

"So, to sum up," Louis stated importantly, "Lily and Sophie will embark on a mission to clean out the attic well enough that it's liveable as a bedroom, Izzy will continue to share a room with Brighton and Lucy, and when Lily and Sophie have moved out of their room, it will be the new nursery. That sound about right?"

All the girls nodded, looking a little like bobblehead dolls. Harry and Louis couldn't help but laugh.

"We've got some pretty cool kids, Louis," Harry pointed out.

"The very coolest," Louis concurred. He stood up. "Now that attic isn't going to clean itself out. Let's go get started."

He didn't have to say it twice. All the girls raced up the stairs, eager to tackle the attic.

Lily and Sophie would have a new room in no time.

* * *

It took a good month of dust, dirt, and sweat, but by the end of September, the attic was a fully functioning bedroom. Zayn, Liam, and Niall graciously came over to help shift furniture and boxes, then paint.

Lily and Sophie settled on a pretty purple colour for the attic. Once they'd cleared the attic--temporarily housing everything in the garage--they had a painting party. The triplets were too little to help, but all the other girls got to help. They had a blast.

After letting the paint dry overnight, the Tomlinson-Syleses invited Zayn, Liam, and Niall back over to carry up furniture and have a little party. Zayn, Liam, and Niall were thrilled to get some time with their honorary nieces. They were told they were welcome back to help pull the nursery together for Number Nine.

As Lily and Sophie made the transition upstairs, Harry was entering his sixth month of pregnancy, and it was time for Izzy's sixth birthday. They had decided to have her birthday at a trampoline park. They found one which could accommodate their wide range of ages and invited some family and friends. They also invited some kids from Izzy's class, making for a robust group gathering to celebrate.

Izzy was the only kid in the family (until her baby brother or sister arrived later in the year) who didn't have to share her birthday with anyone, and she loved the attention being all on her. She and her friends ran around the place with abandon, having absolutely the best time. Some of the moms and dads who came along did a great job of monitoring all the kids, making sure no one got hurt.

Lily and Sophie took charge of Brighton and Lucy, while Lottie, Fizzy, and Gemma took charge of the triplets. This gave Harry and Louis a moment to sit down with their mums.

Anne was looking wistfully over at the birthday girl. "I can't believe she's six already. They're growing up too fast."

"I will never forget that phone call where you told me she was on the way," Jay reminisced.

"She was anxious to get here," Harry said ruefully. "That's for sure." He unconsciously ran a hand over his growing belly. "Hopefully this one won't be in quite such a hurry."

"You sure you don't want to find out the gender?" Anne asked.

Louis and Harry nodded at the same time.

"Obviously, there are advantages to finding out," Louis stated. "But this is our last one, and since everything is going well, there's no reason to find out before they're born."

Jay glanced over at where Lily and Sophie were bouncing with the younger twins. They were giggling and falling all over each other. Looking back over at Harry, she inquired, "How disappointed will they be if it's not a boy?"

Harry sighed heavily. "I think they've all got their heart set on a little brother. If it's a girl, though, I think they'll get over it pretty quickly. They really do love each other, and the older ones like taking care of the smaller ones."

"And Izzy is so excited that this one will be a single like she is," Louis added. "She even agreed to share a room with him or her once they're older."

"Wow," Anne declared. "Big sacrifice."

"Yeah. Until they take everything she owns," Louis said, chuckling.

Jay laughed, too. "Who would have thought back when you first told us you were having Lily and Sophie that we'd be here just twelve years later waiting on your ninth baby?"

Harry shook his head in wonder. "Nine kids in twelve years."

"No one can accuse you two of wasting time," Anne remarked, grinning.

"It's those Tomlinson genes," Harry stated, regarding Louis fondly. "I think all of our multiples can be attributed to him."

"Saved you from being pregnant nine times," Louis quipped.

"This is true," Harry conceded. "I guess I should say thank you." Leaning forward, he pecked Louis on the cheek.

"My pleasure," Louis returned.

Gemma had tag-teamed with Michal, and he was helping with the triplets so she could rest. She dropped into a chair next to Harry. "Wow, your girls have a lot of energy."

Harry grinned. "That's not new."

Gemma rubbed a hand over her own growing belly. "I guess my current state makes them seem more exhausting."

At that moment, the birthday girl ran over. "Daddy! Papa! Is it time for cake yet?"

Harry and Louis grinned at her. "Well, we have pizza for everyone first," Louis reminded her. He checked the time on his phone. "What do you think, Iz? Pizza in ten minutes?"

Izzy nodded enthusiastically, then ran back to her friends yelling, "Pizza in ten minutes!"

All of her little friends cheered, making all of the adults laugh.

"I guess I better go let them know that we have some hungry kids here," Louis stated, standing up. "I'll be right back." He headed off in the direction of the main office.

"He seems to be taking charge," Jay noted.

Harry rubbed his belly once more. "He's always been really good about that. And this time, he feels pretty guilty, so he's being extra helpful."

"He still feeling guilty about the vasectomy snafu?" Anne concluded.

Harry nodded. "I know he's still kicking himself. I keep telling him he shouldn't. I'm okay with being pregnant one more time."

"He has been known to hold onto things," Jay remarked. "I'm glad you're not holding it against him."

"Of course not," Harry scoffed. "It was an honest mistake. Besides, I believe that things happen for a reason. Clearly, this baby was meant to be. I can't wait to meet him or her."

Anne and Jay were both smiling when Louis reappeared.

Standing at the edge of one of the lines of trampolines, Louis called out, "Is anybody hungry?"

A whole lot of "yes" echoed through the room and all of Izzy's sisters and friends made a beeline for Louis.

"All right, kids," Louis directed. "Get in a line and follow me. The pizza is this way."

Harry knew his rest time was over, and he got on the end of the line of kids, ready to help feed the hungry masses.

* * *

Harry was surprised there wasn't a hole worn into the carpet right in front of his and Louis' full-length mirror. He had spent a lot of time in that spot over the years, examining his varying baby bumps. This pregnancy was no different.

Louis was checking on the kids while Harry got in a quick shower. He'd thrown on some paternity boxers, but pushed them down to look at himself sideways in the mirror. He sighed at what he saw.

"What was that sigh about?" Louis asked from the doorway.

Harry swivelled his head to meet Louis' gaze. "Girls all asleep?"

"Every last one," Louis reported. "Now what was that sigh about?"

Harry sighed again at having to address the original question, then he returned his gaze to the mirror. "I'm seven months. My bump should not be this big if there's only one baby in there."

Louis walked over to stand behind him, reaching a hand around to caress Harry's bulging belly. He was definitely bigger than how he had been with Izzy at this stage. "Are you worried there's someone hiding in there? Dr. Cantor has assured us there's only one baby this time."

"I don't know, Louis," Harry countered sceptically. "I would not put it past one of ours to hide."

With a chuckle, Louis said, "I think you're being a little paranoid there, Haz."

"I guess," Harry conceded, but the frown remained on his face. "That doesn't negate the fact that I'm huge."

"You are gorgeous is what you are," Louis argued. "You have always looked amazing pregnant. This time is no exception."

Though still disgruntled, the words forced a small smile from Harry.

Louis lifted his hands to Harry's upper arms and turned Harry around to face him. "You are absolutely gorgeous, Harry." Louis leaned forward to press a kiss to Harry's lips. When they parted, Louis pointed out, "I can still reach your lips, and that's all that matters."

"Can you reach other parts of me, too?" Harry wanted to know, his tone cheeky.

"I'd love to try," Louis replied, equally as cheeky.

"Well," Harry said, taking Louis' hand in his and starting to lead him toward the bed, "What are you waiting for?"

When they got to the bed, Harry pushed his boxers down and off, throwing them to the side. He watched with interest as Louis pulled off his shirt and took off his trousers and boxers. As he threw these clothes on top of Harry's boxers, Harry decided he would worry about the mess later. If there was anything eight kids had taught him, it had been that a mess can always wait.

Now that they were both unclothed, Harry reached for Louis and drew him in for a kiss that was just as passionate as their first kisses had been--almost seventeen years ago. They still couldn't get enough of each other.

They hadn't been kissing long, though, before Harry paused to say, "We should move on to the main event. Who knows how long all eight of them will stay asleep."

"Good point." Stepping back, Louis asked, "What would be most comfortable tonight?"

Harry took a moment to consider the logistics, then crawled onto the bed. He moved right to the head of the bed and got pillows under his forearms. His bottom was up in the air, ready for action. He looked back at Louis and waggled his eyebrows questioningly.

"Hands and knees," Louis remarked with a grin. "Tried and true. I like it."

Louis collected a tube of lube from the drawer in his bedside table before crawling onto the bed himself. He situated himself behind Harry, in between his splayed knees.

Harry looked back over his shoulder in time to catch Louis flicking the cap of the lube open and squeezing some onto his fingers. Louis tossed the tube to the floor, then met Harry's gaze. "Ready?"

Harry nodded. Some pregnancy hormones kicked in just at that moment, and he thrust his bottom back to urge Louis on. He was now more than ready.

With no more preamble, Louis pressed his index finger inside Harry. Harry instantly moaned at the familiar sensation, though it was never one that got old. Louis wasted no time in adding a second finger, then a third. Harry didn't need much as this point, though Louis did make a point of finding Harry's prostate before moving on to the main event. Harry bucked backwards at the touch and moaned lowly.

Louis withdrew his fingers from Harry's hole, causing Harry to whimper at the loss. He was not whimpering for long. Louis was quick to get some lube onto his cock and poise it at Harry's entrance. "Ready, love?" he checked.

"Beyond ready," Harry assured him.

Louis pushed in slowly, savouring every moment. Harry pushed backwards, drawing Louis in.

After bottoming out, fully sheathed in Harry, Louis wasted no time in starting a rhythm. In, out, in, out. Harry was an active participant, meeting Louis move for move. They both tried to keep any noise down, not wanting to wake any of the girls before they were done. It wasn't easy, though, particularly for Harry. Louis quickly found an angle where he could hit Harry's prostate on almost every single thrust.

When Harry was getting close to coming, he rose up so he could seat himself on Louis' dick. Louis easily adjusted, wrapping one arm around Harry's swollen belly and his free hand around Harry's cock, also swollen. This resulted in a new rhythm, steeped in passion.

Louis sensed Harry's orgasm a couple seconds before it arrived, and he milked Harry's erection through every drop of come. The tension about his own cock brought on his own completion, Harry riding out every wave.

Louis slipped gently out of Harry before helping Harry get comfortably onto his side. He then went to the bathroom for a warm, damp flannel and cleaned them both up. It was a routine they had had for every one of Harry's pregnancies.

Once they were both clean, they dressed in boxers--though they'd both have preferred sleeping naked, with so many kids in the house, they daren't risk being caught with their literal drawers down. Harry climbed under the duvet first, Louis right behind him--after shutting off the lights.

As was also a routine, Louis curled up behind Harry, pressing his chest to Harry's back. He wrapped his arms around Harry's bump and kissed Harry's shoulder. "That was amazing," he whispered into Harry's ear.

"The pregnancy hormones are good for something," Harry joked.

"I'll definitely miss the pregnancy hormones," Louis lamented.

"You'll miss me crying at the drop of a hat and getting angry at the smallest thing?" Harry questioned with more than a hint of scepticism.

"Okay, maybe not that part," Louis conceded. "But this part, most definitely."

"You remember the part where I'm exhausted by sex, too, don't you?" Harry stated, yawning to emphasise his reminder.

"I do," Louis confirmed, smiling into Harry's shoulder. "I'll be on triplet duty for the night."

"Thanks." Harry burrowed into Louis' chest. That wouldn't last long. Harry tended to overheat during the night.

Louis took it while he could get it, and hugged Harry tight before closing his eyes for as long as their three little ones would allow him.

* * *

Harry was grateful he was getting to go through the final months of his final pregnancy as the weather was getting cooler. When he'd been in the last part of being pregnant with the triplets it had been July. Not fun to be carrying around three babies in midsummer. Being pregnant with one in the middle of autumn was much better.

What made this pregnancy even sweeter was getting to share it with Gemma. She was so excited about having her first baby with Michal. Michal was just as excited. So Louis and Harry conspired with Michal to put together a baby shower for Gemma. They enlisted Lily and Sophie's help, as the eldest of Harry and Louis' girls were the most eager to meet their very first first cousin.

Harry had never really had a shower for any of his pregnancies. He and Louis had more than what they needed to take care of their kids, and they had never wanted to ask their friends and family to spend money when they didn't really need it. Gemma and Michal, however, were starting with only the hand-me-downs Harry and Louis promised them. It would be nice for them to have some new things.

They all decided Harry and Louis' house would be the best place to hold the shower. It was plenty big enough for all of Gemma's family and friends to gather together and celebrate. They also decided to try to make it a surprise for the mom-to-be. All they needed was for none of the girls to blow it and say something.

Gemma had decided to join Harry and Louis in not finding out the baby's gender. She didn't have a preference; she just wanted a healthy baby. It was easy, then, to settle on a colour scheme for the party--green and yellow. Good for a boy or a girl!

They decided to have the party on a Sunday afternoon in late November, just about two weeks before Gemma was due. They told her they just wanted to have her and Michal over for lunch, and she seemed oblivious to the bigger plan in play. She and Michal had been trying to fit in some last couple activities before they became a trio, so this wasn't out of place.

Lily and Sophie wanted to be in charge of decorating, so they took care of that, hanging streamers and posters and putting a tablecloth and little trinkets on the dining table. They were in heaven, getting things ready for their Auntie Gemma.

Harry was in charge of food, though they did have a cake made at a local bakery. Harry let some of the younger girls help him make some appetizers and finger food for the shower. Louis was responsible for the shower favours, putting candies and other tchotchkes in bags. Lottie actually came for the weekend to help him with that--and any other tasks needing done--since she was invited to the shower anyway.

The house was in a heightened state of excitement on the morning of the shower. The girls were always excited when people were coming to visit. They knew that the chances for attention were increased greatly when the full complement of their aunts, uncles, grandmothers, or grandfathers came to visit.

Everything was all set up beautifully. Even though it was a cloudy day outside, all the green and yellow which Lily and Sophie had so carefully appointed throughout the downstairs gave a sunny feel to the day.

Michal texted Harry when they were in the car, and Louis herded all the girls and all their guests away from the front door, all eager to greet the parents-to-be.

As was her habit, Gemma opened the front door herself, and she seemed genuinely pleased when everyone crowded forward and called out, "Surprise!" Harry hoped his sister's tears were happy ones. His own, of course, were hormonal. He wasn't at all emotional that his big sister was expecting her first baby….

The first thing everyone did was make a guess about whether Gemma would have a boy or a girl. There were an overwhelming number of votes for a boy. Apparently Harry and Louis were not to be trusted to deliver a male baby. So they were now counting on Gemma. Even if the baby would be a Mlynowski, not a Styles or a Tomlinson--they'd take it!

"Hey, have you guys picked a name yet?" Lily asked her Aunt Gemma.

Last time Harry had asked Gemma about names, she said she and Michal hadn't come to any kind of conclusion. Which reminded Harry that at some point, he and Louis needed to make some decisions about a name for their own special delivery. It was getting harder to find names they really loved. Well, girl names they really loved.

"I think we have," Gemma answered, looking over at Michal. "But we're keeping the names a secret until the baby's born."

"If you need any help choosing, Lily and me are good at naming babies," Sophie informed her.

Automatically, Louis corrected, "Lily and I." He grinned in Gemma's direction then. "She's right. They helped us with Izzy's name and with the triplets' middle names."

Gemma grinned, too. "We'll keep that in mind, should we get stuck."

Sophie and Lily both bounced in excitement at the prospect of having another baby to name.

For after the vote, the girls had found a fun game online to play. Each shower guest had the name of a baby item pinned to their back, and they had to walk around the room to ask yes and no questions to figure out what they were. By the time everyone had guessed correctly, they were starving, so they all took turns filling plates with food.

They played one more game--trying to figure out the names for the babies of a list of adult animals--before Gemma and Michal were allowed to open gifts. Harry elected himself to be the one who took notes so Gemma would remember who each gift was from.

Most of what they received were predictable. Lots of cute purple, green, and yellow onesies, soft plush toys, some board books for when the baby was a little older, bath items, and gift cards for buying things they didn't get. The best gifts, however, were the ones presented to Gemma by her nieces.

The five older girls had all wanted to get something for their new baby cousin. Harry and Louis had given them the choice to take money and buy something or make something. The baby twins, who were just a month away from being four, decided to spend money, so Lottie had taken them shopping. They had insisted on wrapping their own gifts. Harry and Louis had no idea what they'd bought, so they held their breath as Gemma read the card, announcing the gift from Brighton and Lucy.

Harry and Louis immediately laughed as Gemma pulled four sippy cups out of the bag Lottie had no doubt helped them put together. Brighton and Lucy were beaming when their dads and the parents-to-be looked over to them.

"Brighton and Lucy, these are awesome," Gemma told them.

"They will want water," Lucy explained seriously.

"Water comes in a sippy cup," Brighton added. "We picked purple and pink ones."

"They're perfect, girls," their Auntie Gemma went on to assure them. "I love them. When they're ready for water, we will definitely use these. Thanks, Brighton. Thanks, Lucy."

The younger twins looked over to their dads, who gave them thumbs up for a great choice of gift.

Izzy's present was next. Having just turned six recently, she was all about doing things for herself. She had tagged along on Brighton and Lucy's outing with Lottie, taking the money offered to her to in a craft store. Lottie had been told to wait at the front while Izzy did her shopping. Izzy had locked herself into Harry and Louis' office to create her present.

It had been wrapped haphazardly, but it was clear Izzy was very proud of herself. She was smiling widely when Gemma commented, "Isabelle, this is a wonderful wrapping job. It's so beautiful, I almost hate to tear into it."

"Open it! Open it!" Izzy urged.

Thus given permission, Gemma pried away the paper to reveal a popsicle stick picture frame. Harry and Louis couldn't see what was inside until Gemma sighed, "Awwww," and turned the frame around.

Izzy had drawn her and all her sisters outside on a sunny day. Above the nine little figures (she had added a tiny baby at the end for Baby Nine) was written "Yur Cuzins."

Harry and Louis both had to wipe tears from their eyes.

"That's amazing, Izzy," Gemma told her. "I will hang this in the baby's room so they will always remember you and his or her other cousins."

Izzy was beaming with pride, thrilled that her gift had been received so well.

"Our turn!" Lily and Sophie announced in unison, scrambling to their feet to grab the two bags left unopened. They presented one to Gemma and one to Michal. "Open them at the same time," Lily added directions.

Gemma set Izzy's drawing aside to focus on the purple bag she had been handed. Michal gave equal attention to the neon green bag in his own hands. "Okay, Daddy," Gemma said to her husband. "One… Two… Three…"

Together, they both started to pull tissue from the top of their bag to reveal the present beneath it. Inside Gemma's bag was a large and incredibly plush stuffed elephant and a smaller, worn elephant.

"The little one was mine," Lily explained. "But the baby can have it. The bigger one is so he or she will have something new."

A chorus of "aww"s echoed through the room at Lily's thoughtfulness. She smiled brightly, happy her gift had been well received.

"Lily, this is so sweet," Gemma said. "I will make sure the baby takes good care of your elephant. I'm sure they'll love both of them."

Inside Michal's bag was a large fluffy panda bear and a smaller, worn panda.

"The little one was mine," Sophie parroted her twin's explanation. "The bigger one is new."

"You are both so kind to share such well-loved toys," Michal said, offering them warm smiles. "Thank you."

"Girls, you're amazing," Harry proudly told their eldest daughters. "I know your baby cousin will love knowing that their biggest cousins gave them such special gifts."

"Is it time for cake now?" Izzy piped up.

"Wait a second, Izzy," Louis requested. "Daddy and I haven't given Auntie Gemma and Uncle Michal their gift from us yet."

"There's nothing left to open, though," Lily helpfully pointed out.

"Ah, but our gift isn't something you can wrap," Louis countered.

Lily, Sophie, and Izzy all adopted nearly identical frowns.

Louis chuckled before going on. "You know, of course, that we'll have lots of hand-me-downs if you have a girl. We even have some things laying around if you have a boy. But Harry and I decided what you might need most is a calm nursery."

"We know you haven't done much in the way of decorating, not wanting to tempt fate and all," Harry took over the explanation, "but once the baby is here, we are going to pay for a decorator to come in and do the nursery exactly the way you want it. Including any furniture you need."

Gemma's eyes watered as her brother finished describing their present. "That sounds fantastic. Thank you so much!" She got up to hug first Harry, then Louis.

Michal gave out a couple hugs to Harry and Louis, too. "Thanks so much, guys. That's a perfect gift."

Izzy piped up again. " _Now_ can we have cake?"

All the adults laughed as Louis picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Now we can have cake."

Anne and Jay took on the job of first presenting the large cake--which read _Congratulations Gemma and Michal_ and was beautifully decorated with blue and pink roses--then cutting slices. Everyone found a place to sit to eat cake, although Louis and Harry asked Lottie and Fizzy to sit with the smallest of their nieces to keep the mess to a minimum.

After cake, Gemma and Michal made the rounds to try to speak personally to each of the guests and thank them for coming to the shower.

Gemma had moved to Harry's side to thank him when she stopped dead in her tracks, a look of confusion on her face. Her hand flew to her belly. "Ow," she exclaimed softly.

"Baby kicking?" Harry asked, smiling, instinctively putting his hand on his own belly to check on his own little one, who, like his or her siblings, generally enjoyed partying late at night. True to form, Harry's bump was still.

Shaking her head, Gemma said, "That was no kick."

Harry's eyes widened. "Sharp pain?"

Gemma met his gaze and nodded. "Very sharp. Not like a kick at all."

"That's either a Braxton Hicks contraction or a contraction, then," Harry advised, speaking from years of experience. "You'll have to wait to see if there's another one."

"It's two weeks early, H," Gemma pointed out.

"My niece or nephew doesn't know how to read a calendar." Harry smirked. "I've found that out the hard way. Izzy was definitely not supposed to be born at home. Sometimes you don't get to choose."

Gemma sighed. "What time is it?"

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Harry announced, "It's just gone half-three. We can time them from that."

"What if they are contractions? Real contractions?" Gemma clarified.

"Then your baby may be a November baby instead of a December one. It might like a month all to itself." Harry smiled softly. "It's going to be fine, Gemma. I've been through this four times before. Trust me. "

Taking in a deep breath, Gemma gave her brother another nod. "I always do."

For the next short while, Harry kept in view of Gemma, and she alerted him each time she had a contraction--though he could tell just by the look on her face. The contractions were about fifteen minutes apart.

The contractions remained about fifteen minutes apart--and Gemma told Harry they were strong every time--as Gemma and Michal thanked all their guests for coming and showed them to the door.

The contractions had speeded up to about twelve minutes apart when only Anne and Robin were left, everyone else having departed for home or a hotel. It was then that Gemma let Michal in on what was going on. He was a little disgruntled at having been kept out of the loop, but Gemma told him she had wanted to be sure what was going on--and that the loop had just been her and Harry. Even Louis didn't know what was going on.

Gemma placed a call to her midwife. She was directed to wait until the contractions were about ten minutes apart, then she could come to the birthing centre.

Having been in this position on four separate occasions, Harry suggested to his sister that she take a seat and try to remain as calm and relaxed as she could. He made her a cup of herbal tea and Lily and Sophie took charge of making sure Gemma had the most comfortable seat in the lounge. Izzy helped, too, finding a cushy ottoman for Gemma to put up her feet.

By the time she'd drained her second cup of tea, Michal announced it was now ten minutes between contractions. Gemma rang her midwife again and was told it was fine to come in.

"Harry," Gemma asked as Michal helped her up, "will you come with me?"

Harry widened his eyes in surprise. "You sure?"

"Well, I hope Mum will come, too," Gemma amended, "but yes. Will you come? You've had so much experience with this."

With a smile, Harry nodded. "Of course. Louis, you're okay with all the kids?"

From his spot on the floor where he'd been colouring with Brighton and Lucy Louis responded, "Absolutely. You go." He made shooing motions with his hands and grinned. "Everything here is under control."

Michal ushered Gemma to the door, helping her into her coat and guiding her down the walk to their car. Anne and Harry collected their own outer wear, then climbed into Anne's car to follow Gemma and Michal to the birthing centre. Harry was thrumming with excitement about meeting his first niece or nephew.

"What do you think, Mum?" Harry asked as Anne executed a left turn right behind Michal's car. "Do you think it's going to be a girl or a boy?"

"I don't know," Anne returned. "What do you think?"

"I don't know either." Harry looked out the window at a passing young biker. "I know the girls are hoping it's a boy."

"A boy would be…different," Anne remarked.

"Are you ready for a grandson?"

Anne smiled softly, turning right as she stayed apace with Michal. "I will take either a grandson or another granddaughter, as long as it's healthy. The same is true for this little one." She reached a hand out to pat Harry's belly.

"The girls are so convinced it's going to be a boy." Harry sighed heavily, rubbing his belly under the seat belt. "They desperately want a brother. They will be inconsolable if it's another girl."

"For about five minutes," Anne added to his prediction, a fond smile on her face as she thought about her granddaughters. "Then they will love her just like they love each other."

Harry couldn't help feeling comforted by her words. "You're right."

"Not long until we all find out," Anne went on.

"Just two and a half weeks." Harry truly hoped this baby was born on time. December was already so crowded that Gemma's baby was jumping ship early, but at least the fifteenth was almost two weeks after Gemma's birthday and nine days before Louis, Brighton, and Lucy. Breathing room. None of his babies had been born on time, though, so he had no reason to think that this one would be different.

Michal led the way into the birthing centre's car park, and they were able to park side by side.

Since they had called ahead, Gemma was shown directly to her room. Having seen Harry shown the best care during Brighton and Lucy's birth, Gemma had chosen the exact same birthing centre. She wasn't given the exact same room Harry had used, though it was similar.

Once she changed, Gemma chose to relax on the bed. There was a variety of furniture in the room, chairs and a sofa, which she could switch to if she wanted. There were also birthing balls, should she want to alleviate some pain. Finally, the room featured a birthing pool. Having been there when Harry and Louis' second twins were born, Gemma had seen how serene a water birth was--even if you took into account Lucy being breech--so she was leaning toward that, though she had many options and had been told nothing needed to be decided ahead of time.

They passed the first hour with easy conversation, discussing television, movies, and books, all of which Harry and Louis warned Gemma and Michal would be in short supply once they brought the baby home. They discussed Christmas and all the gifts Harry had already brought for the girls using just his laptop. Shopping in person during the Christmas season while nine months pregnant was not fun. And they discussed the nursery they were going to ask the decorator to create. Gemma liked the idea of a tropical-themed room, soothing and calm for both her and the baby.

As it got to be about supper time, Anne and Harry made a trip to the hospital cafeteria to fetch some food, getting some custard and more herbal tea for Gemma and sandwiches for everyone else.

While they ate, Gemma's contractions became about eight minutes apart. Closer and closer to meeting her baby.

When Gemma's contractions got to be five minutes apart, it was clear she was becoming anxious. Harry sat down next to her.

"You're going to do great, Gemma," he told her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it.

"This hurts a lot more than I thought," Gemma confided in him, her breathing shallow.

"I know, right?" Harry smirked. "It's all worth it, though, I promise. When you hold your baby for the first time, you will forget all about the pain. That's why you consider getting pregnant again."

Gemma chuckled, then rode through another contraction, Harry guiding her through some breathing, Michal encouraging her on her other side.

When she recovered, Harry asked, "Are you sure you want me to stay for all of this? I would completely understand if you'd prefer for me to wait outside once you're pushing."

Scandalised, Gemma shook her head. "No, I want you here. I want you to be here when the baby's born. Just like I was for the baby twins." She paused briefly. "If you want to, that is."

Harry squeezed her hand again. "There's no place I'd rather be."

Gemma had to wait a couple more hours until the midwife--a kind older woman called Maggie--deemed the contractions close enough and Gemma dilated enough to be able to push. It was finally time for a decision--give birth on the bed or in the pool. Gemma decided she was relatively comfortable on the bed, so she'd just stay there.

Michal situated himself on Gemma's left--her main coach. Harry took her right side as her auxiliary coach. Anne stood back to offer verbal or silent support, whatever was needed in the moment.

Harry had, of course, always been the one in labour in the delivery room, so it was a major change to be the one on the other side. However, he knew from experience that what was most needed from the others in the room when you were trying to push a baby--or two or three--out was encouragement.

Twenty minutes of pushing went by with no sign of a baby, and Gemma was already exhausted. Harry squeezed her hand tightly. "You can do this, Gem. Trust me. Deep breaths and push hard. Your baby is coming."

Michal added, "I'm so proud of you, baby. You're doing great." He kissed her temple and visibly tightened his grip on her hand.

Obviously bolstered by the words of encouragement, Gemma redoubled her efforts and pushed until her face was bright red and Michal and Harry's hands threatened to lose circulation.

Her work was rewarded when Maggie announced, "I can see a head!"

Michal immediately wanted to take a look, but Harry stayed where he was to tell Gemma, "The next part hurts a lot, but once that baby's head is out, the hardest part is over."

Gemma nodded and puffed out a breath of air, then another, then another.

"It's a beautiful top of the head," Michal informed Gemma when he returned to his spot, taking her hand up again.

"Okay, Gemma, time to push as gently as you can to get the head out," Maggie told her.

Just as directed, Gemma began pushing with a little less vigour than before, and about two minutes into this process, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Head's almost out," Maggie confirmed what Harry suspected based on his own experience.

"You've got this, babe," Michael assured Gemma. "Our baby is almost here."

Gemma's face was the picture of concentration as she pushed one more time.

"Head's out!" Maggie proclaimed.

As Harry watched, Maggie swept out the baby's mouth and ensured that the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the baby's neck. He couldn't tell just from the face whether he had a niece or a nephew. "Last pushes for the shoulders, Gemma," Maggie urged.

Gemma dropped her head back on the pillows behind her. Her face was red, and she looked completely worn out. Harry knew the feeling. "I know you're exhausted, Gemma. Believe me, I've been there. Just a push or two more, and it's all over, since you were smart enough to only make one baby."

Harry's sidebar made Gemma laugh and gave her just enough energy to pull herself up and push one more time.

It only took that one push, and Harry was able to watch Maggie pull the newborn out.

"It's a girl!" Maggie exclaimed as the girl in question began to cry.

Maggie picked the baby up and over Gemma's belly and into Gemma's arms. Michal immediately cupped the baby's head in his hand. The baby cried for a couple of moments before calming at her mother's touch.

Harry knew he was beaming from ear to ear. "She's gorgeous, Gem. Absolutely gorgeous."

Gemma didn't take her eyes off of the baby as she said, "She really is, isn't she?"

Anne shifted to Harry's side to get a good look at her ninth granddaughter. "She's beautiful, Gemma. Well done."

Michal kissed Gemma's temple. "You really did do a great job. She's amazing, I can't believe she's finally here."

Once Michal had cut the cord, one of the attendants took the baby to be cleaned, and the midwife helped Gemma through the final stages of delivery. Gemma was comfortable and propped up on pillows when the baby--now clean and swaddled in a blanket, a white hat atop her tiny head--was returned to her safe embrace.

"Do we get to know her name now?" Anne asked as Gemma and Michal stared adoringly at their baby girl. "Or do you need a little more time?"

Gemma smiled. "No, I think we know what we're going to go with. Madeline Mary Mlynowski. Madeline after Michal's grandmother, Mary after mine. We're going to call her Maddy, I think."

Tears gathered at the corners of Anne's eyes at the gesture of the baby's middle name being hr mother's. "I love it."

Harry reached over to tweak the baby's big toe where it peeked out of the blanket. "Welcome to the family, Maddy."

* * *

"Pressure's on us now," Louis commented the following morning as he pulled out plates for breakfast. "If we don't produce a boy, everyone may disown us."

Harry turned on a hob to start cooking some eggs. "Well, in two weeks, we'll find out."

"Unless this one is like almost all of its sisters and decides to come early," Louis commented as he worked his way around their large kitchen table with the plates and the silverware.

"Bite your tongue," Harry ordered. "Now get me down a mixing bowl. I want to get these eggs going before the hungry horde start appearing."

As he watched Harry crack eggs, Louis said, "Madeline's such a cute name. I can't wait to meet her. How was it watching her be born?"

"Very odd." Harry whisked the bowl full of eggs. "I'm used to being the one doing all the work. But Gemma was amazing. And the baby is beautiful. I know the girls will be disappointed not to have a boy cousin, but I think it will be fun to add another girl to the bunch."

"Between us and Gemma we're creating a whole generation of powerful girls." Louis got the bacon out to cook, putting them into a pan next to Harry's eggs.

"Indeed," Harry concurred. "And Lottie may not be far behind in adding another baby to the mix. Or maybe Fizzy."

"Now you bite your tongue!" Lottie had gotten back together with her ex, Tommy, and they had gotten engaged almost straight away. Louis knew she wanted to have kids soon. Fizzy, too, had a serious boyfriend--a lovely guy called Jack--so they were expecting another engagement any day now. Fizzy also wanted kids. Louis was happy they'd found love, but he was finding it hard to accept that they were all grown up and at an age to have kids.

"You'd best get round the idea that they're in their mid-twenties now…." Harry suggested.

Louis sighed. "I know. Even Phoebe and Daisy are so old. Twenty-three. Where's the time gone?"

"At least Doris and Ernest are only thirteen." Harry scraped the cooked eggs onto a platter. "Plenty of time before they think of getting married and having kids."

"Thank goodness!" Louis plated the bacon. "We've got plenty of kids for the moment."

Harry patted the top of his swollen belly. "With one more on the way."

Lily, Sophie, and Izzy ran into the room as one, all of them laughing.

"Good morning, girls," Harry greeted them.

"Morning, Daddy," they all said, their voices tumbling over each other.

"Have a seat at the table," Louis directed them.

While the older girls slid into their spots, Brighton and Lucy entered the kitchen arguing over a pair of gloves. They each held one, and they were both red in the face.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Louis' voice drowned theirs out. "What's going on here?"

"They're my gloves," Brighton declared.

"No!" Lucy shouted. "They're my gloves!"

Deftly, Louis plucked the gloves out of their hands. "We have more gloves in this house than we have girls. You do not need to argue over this pair."

"But, Daddy--" Lucy began to protest.

Louis held up a hand to stop her. "No, Lulu. No buts. Get to the table, you two. It's time for breakfast."

The triplets had been playing with some toys in the room just off the kitchen, and while Harry served the older girls sat at the table, Louis fetched the littlest of their brood and placed them in their high chairs.

It was Harry's turn to sit and eat and Louis' to make sure the triplets ate.

"Daddy, is our baby cousin here?" Sophie wanted to know. All the kids had been in bed by the time Harry got home.

"Yes, indeed," Harry answered with a smile.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Lily asked.

Harry paused for just a second before announcing, "It's a girl. Her name is Madeline Mary."

"Another girl?" Izzy sounded monumentally disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Izzy." Harry was sympathetic to her plight. "I know you'll love having a baby cousin, though, even if it is a girl."

Izzy sighed a sigh of the truly woebegone.

"Our baby is coming soon, right, Daddy?" Lily inquired.

"Just a couple more weeks," Harry confirmed.

"Maybe it will be a boy, Izzy," Lily said, throwing her sister a hopeful smile.

Izzy sighed again. "Probably not."

"You never know," Sophie told her. "Don't give up hope."

Izzy allowed a small smile to grow on her face.

Harry loved it when the girls tried to buck each other up. "We don't have to wait too much longer. And as much as I'd love a boy, it would make me just as happy to have another girl as wonderful as all of you are."

Lily and Sophie rolled their eyes at the syrupy sentiment, but then smiled anyhow. The rest of the girls just kept eating.

"When do we get to meet Gemma's baby?" Lily questioned.

"Well, if everything goes well--and I think it will--she and the baby will be sent home later today or tomorrow," Harry replied. "Maybe if they're up to it, we can go this weekend for you, Sophie, and Izzy to meet Maddy. We'll wait a little longer before unleashing everyone else on the tiny baby."

Lily appeared satisfied with this plan and dug back into her eggs.

"Are you going to tweet about the baby, Daddy?" Sophie asked around a bite of bacon.

"Watch those manners, Soph," Louis interjected.

As Sophie dutifully closed her mouth to finish her bite, Harry realised he'd never actually been the one to tweet about babies. That was always Louis' job.

He rectified that the moment he left the breakfast clean up in Louis and the girls' capable hands.

**@Harry_Styles I'm an uncle!! My sister Gemma and her husband welcomed their baby girl Madeline yesterday evening. I'm so excited to spoil my brand new niece rotten!**

* * *

On the first of December, two weeks ahead of Harry's due date, Harry made sure he was ready. His plan was to give birth at home. On purpose. He couldn't have explained why, it just seemed right that their last baby be born at home. Jay had been honoured when Harry had requested that she be his midwife for this last baby. She was staying with Lottie in London so she would be close and able to come when it was time.

Harry was determined to be ready, too, He had gathered clean towels and sheets together, all piled up in the corner of their bedroom. He had also packed a bag just in case something happened, and they had to move the party to the hospital.

Then…nothing happened. At almost every moment of every day--when he had time to think about it--he expected to go into labour. But the baby stayed put.

"As big as I am, you'd think this baby was more than fully cooked," Harry complained as he carefully lowered himself into a chair in the lounge on the eighth day of December.

They'd just put the triplets down for a nap. The house was lovely and silent. Lily, Sophie, and Izzy were at school, and Lucy and Brighton were at nursery. In preparation for the baby and the holidays, Harry and Louis had no musical business lined up. There would be precious few moments like this after another week or so.

"Maybe the baby just likes it in there," Louis remarked. "It's all warm and comfy. It has the place to itself. It's living its best life. Frankly, I'd live inside you, too, if I could." He raised his eyebrows lasciviously while Harry rolled his eyes.

"Did you remember to bring the box of newborn things down from the attic?" Harry checked.

Louis nodded. "Put it in the nursery."

Everyone had been situated with a sleeping space. As enlisted, Niall, Liam, and Zayn came to help paint the nursery and build and get the furniture in place. They'd chosen a lovely mint green which would do for a boy or a girl. They'd had to purchase a new crib, a new changing table, a new dresser, and a new rocking chair, since all of those things were still being used by the triplets. The room was soothing and calm, not fitting any theme other than serenity.

"I still can't quite believe this is the last one." Harry caressed the top of his sizeable belly. He hated the part where he got this big, but it was bittersweet to think this was the last time.

"So, you forgive me for the vasectomy slip now?" Louis asked, his voice filled with hope.

Harry smirked, striking down Louis' hope. "Not quite yet, though I am sure this little one will make it worth it."

Peering down at his mobile, Louis said, "Hey, we've got at least an hour, maybe a little more, before we have to deal with kids. How should we spend our time?"

"Napping," Harry responded quickly.

A frown took over Louis' forehead. "Nothing more…athletic?"

"Louis, I am nine months pregnant with the hugest baby in the world. Athletic is off the table."

As Harry began to pry himself out of the chair, Louis moved to help him. "A nap it is."

It was a slow walk up the stairs and into their bedroom. Speed was not something Harry was capable of these days.

As Harry stripped down to paternity boxers, Louis did the same.

"You sleepy, too?" Harry inquired, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Best get my rest, too, yeah? Before we have nine kids to take care of." Louis pulled down the lightweight duvet and slipped under.

With a yawn, Harry awkwardly got himself and his belly under the duvet. He didn't last one minute after Louis took him into his arms.

* * *

On the fifth of December, it occurred to Harry that maybe he and Louis should sit down with the girls and talk about the home birth plan--since the little one could arrive any day. Lily, Sophie, and Izzy had all attended Brighton and Lucy's birth, but that was four years ago, so a refresher for them was due anyhow, while they filled Brighton and Lucy in on what to expect.

After tea, before they began to get the youngest of the girls ready for bed, Harry and Louis gathered the five older girls on the sofa, their usual spot for family meetings. The triplets were corralled nearby, playing together.

"So, girls," Harry began, placing a hand on the top of his belly, "any day now your baby brother or sister is going to be born."  
  


"Please can it be a boy?" Brighton begged, her eyes wide.

"We have so much girls," Lucy added, her eyes wide even wider.

Louis and Harry both bit back chuckles.

"We can't control whether it's a boy or girl," Louis told her. "Remember, we talked about this back in the summer?"

Both of the little twins frowned, but they accepted Louis' answer.

"All of your births were a little different," Harry reminded them. "Lily and Sophie, you were born in Dubai while Papa and I were on a tour with Uncle Niall, Uncle Liam, and Uncle Zayn. I was so nervous, since you were our first."

"Granny Anne and Granny Jay flew there to meet us!" Sophie recalled from having heard this story before.

"They did," Harry confirmed. "Everyone was there, and they all loved both of you instantly."

"Izzy was in a hurry," Louis continued on from where Louis had left off.

Izzy jumped up and down at getting to her part of the tale. "I was born upstairs!"

Harry smiled at her excitement. "You were. Couldn't wait until we could get to the hospital. You were born right up in our bedroom. Granny Jay talked us through it on the phone while Uncle Niall minded Lily and Sophie."

"We were there when Brighton and Lucy were born in the pool," Sophie pointed out.

"I had wanted to have Izzy in a pool." Harry shook his head slightly at the memory of the dashed wish. "Brighton and Lucy, you two gave us a lot of time to be ready."

"We wanted to be born on Papa's birthday," Lucy declared.

Louis beamed. "And so you were. I love sharing my birthday with you."

"The triplets were born at hospital." Harry had thought they would be the last babies. "They were so small, remember, that they had to go to the NICU at first."

"Now look how big they are!" Louis exclaimed.

"Where will you have this baby?" Lily wanted to know.

"I want to have the baby here," Harry answered.

"Just like me," Izzy interjected.

"Just like you. Only Granny Jay will be here and not just on the phone." Harry paused to see what the girls had to say.

"Will you have the baby in your bedroom?" Sophie asked.

Harry nodded. "I think so."

"But there will be rules," Louis informed them.

Lily scrunched up her face. "Rules?"

"Rules," Louis repeated firmly. "We are probably going to ask Aunt Lottie and Aunt Fizzy to come mind you while Daddy is having the baby. It will be your job to listen to them. Okay?"

All the girls nodded. This was an easy ask, as all the girls adored their Aunt Lottie and Aunt Fizzy.

"I will be staying with Daddy the whole time, so unless there's an emergency, I won't be available to come do anything with you," Louis went on. "Does that make sense?"

The girls all nodded again.

"Having a baby can be painful," Harry jumped in. "I may scream or yell. But it isn't anything to be worried about. It just means your baby brother or sister is on their way. All the pain is worth it in the end."

The girls nodded once more.

"Can we be there when the baby comes?" Lily inquired on behalf of all her sisters.

"If you want to, absolutely," Harry replied. "But you'll have to stay quiet and follow any directions Papa or I give you."

Lily shrugged, accepting the terms. "Okay."

Louis met each girl's gaze. "Any other questions?"

"Can we name the baby?" Izzy asked.

Neither Harry nor Louis could help grinning. "Not this time," Harry broke the bad news. "I think we can handle that this time."

Izzy pouted for a moment, but her fathers knew she would get over it shortly.

"Anybody else?"

This time, all the girls shook their heads.

"Can we go now?" Brighton hopped up from her seat in preparation for a positive response.

"You can go get yourselves ready for bed," Louis allowed. "We'll have time for more than one story if you get ready quickly."

It wasn't often there was time for multiple stories, so the girls ran for the stairs to make it happen.

"So, they're prepared now," Louis stated proudly.

"Then this baby can come any time now."

* * *

By the twelfth of December, Harry was becoming quite vexed.

"Other than Brighton and Lucy, all these other girls came early," he complained to Louis as they prepared lunch for their brood.

"You haven't even gotten to your due date yet," Louis pointed out gently.

"I know, I know," Harry assured him. "I'm just not used to due dates meaning anything."

Louis began to get plates from the cupboard. "Well, in three days, if nothing happens, then the due date doesn't mean anything again."

Harry glared at him while he continued to turn the grilled cheese sandwiches. "Why are you making this about logic?"

With a chuckle, Louis said, "Because it's not like the baby is in there studying a calendar."

"It could be," Harry countered in an exasperated tone. "It could be a genius."

Louis held out the platter he'd gotten down so Harry could start plating the first round of sandwiches. "You're right. It could be imitating Brighton and Lucy so they, too, can be on or near my birthday."

Harry sighed deeply and he turned over a new batch of grilled cheese. "I don't want to carry this watermelon around another twelve days."

"I do not blame you." Louis got a couple bags of crisps from a cabinet, making sure to pick a few different kinds. Sophie liked plain crisps, but Izzy wouldn't touch anything that wasn't flavoured.

"Come on, baby," Harry spoke in the direction of his belly. "You can come on now. Daddy's ready."

"I look forward to seeing if that works," Louis mentioned.

Harry shot him a withering glance.

With a grin, Louis added, "We can always try some of those strategies we tried with Lucy and Brighton. As I recall, sex worked to bring on labour."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry promised, "Although I feel like a beached whale right this minute. This baby must weight ten pounds."

"Well, I'm ready and willing any time." Louis held out the platter for more sandwiches.

"Ready and willing for what?" Lily questioned from the doorway.

Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Louis recovered quickly. "Ready to call you girls for lunch. Go call your sisters?"

"Sure, Papa." Lily turned to go to the bottom of the stairs to yell for her sisters to come down.

Harry chuckled. "Good save."

"Thanks." Louis laughed, too. Whispering, he added, "I am ready and willing. Absolutely any time. Any. Time."

* * *

The sky was dark and cloudy outside when Harry opened his eyes two days later. Great. If it rained, they would have to entertain the triplets inside. Never fun. Of course, this would also mean he could sit his heavily-pregnant self in a chair and watch the kids play, letting Louis handle any interpersonal squabbles.

He was hyper-aware that the following day was the baby's due date. He wasn't exactly sure why he was so fixated on this, except that he usually had babies in his arms way before they were supposed to be there. Brighton and Lucy should have come early, too, but the little stinkers had apparently had their hearts set on sharing their papa's birthday. He certainly hoped this last little one didn't have the same goal.

Harry stared at his belly and whispered, "Okay, peanut number nine, you need to get everything squared away in there. You are way too big to be hiding out in there. Time to join us out here. Your papa's birthday is not for ten more days, and you'd be sharing not just with him, but with the little twins, too. You want your own birthday, don't you? Then get moving!"

He heard a chuckle to his left. He shifted his weary gaze to meet Louis'.

"Is it working?" Louis wanted to know, moving a hand to the top of Harry's bump.

Harry placed his own hand next to Louis'. There was a vicious kick, but nothing else. With a sigh, Harry shook his head.

"Clearly, this one has a mind of its own," Louis stated. "What do you say we try that long walk thing to see if we can coax him or her out? We could take the triplets shopping while the other girls are at school?"

"Sure," Harry agreed. "Maybe we can double the chances of something working with a little Indian takeaway for lunch?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Louis leaned over to peck Harry's cheek, then he threw back the duvet. "You rest a little more, and I'll go get Lily and Sophie up to help with school prep."

"That sounds amazing." Harry closed his eyes and listened as Louis puttered around the room for a couple of minutes before heading out to get the girls' day started.

Twenty minutes later, Harry rose and slowly waddled down to the kitchen to supervise breakfast, even though the plan was cereal and milk or yogurt.

Once Louis had done the school run--while Harry handled dressing the triplets--they took a tea break, then headed off to the closest mall.

As they walked through the crowded shopping centre, Harry realised something. "We haven't settled on any names for this baby. And remember, it's due tomorrow."

"You've mentioned that a couple times." Louis was pushing the two-seater stroller containing Violet and Briar Rose, and he nodded. "We did tell the girls we were going to handle names. Do you have any you're thinking of in particular?"

"There are a few I like." Harry manoeuvred Poppy's single stroller around a toddler running away from his mum. "Maybe we could do what we did way back with our first three and make lists, then trade them."

"Worked before," Louis remarked. "Let's do that when we put these three down to nap."

In deference to both the triplets' attention span and Harry's very pregnant body, they kept the shopping trip as quick as they could, picking up a few last gifts for the girls as well as a few essentials they would need once the baby had arrived. They stopped for some Indian takeaway on the way back home to see if it could kick Harry's labour into gear.

The triplets were exhausted by the time they got home, and they thankfully went down for their naps easily. This gave Louis and Harry ample time to eat their takeaway, then make name lists. Harry chose to thumb through a baby name book they'd picked up somewhere along the way, while Louis used Google.

They finished at roughly the same time, then switched lists.

"I like quite a few of these," Louis said, perusing Harry's blocky handwriting.

Harry was quite used to Louis' more messy writing. "I like some of these, too."

"Shall we pick now or wait until he or she is born?" Louis asked.

"I'm okay with waiting to see what feels right." Harry eyed the list again, smiling at a few of the names he'd also put on his own list. "What do you think?"

Louis shrugged. "Sure. I'm okay with waiting, too. Need to make sure the name fits, yeah?"

At that moment, a cry came from upstairs as one of the triplets woke from their nap unhappy.

"Sounds like Violet," Louis guessed. "I'll check on her."

As Louis' footsteps disappeared up the stairs, Harry looked down at his bump. "That could be you getting all of Papa's attention. Why don't you come join us?"

He felt absolutely no response from the baby in his belly, and he sighed. So much for the spicy food strategy. "Fine. Have it your way, peanut."

A second cry from upstairs drove Harry to his feet. "I'm coming, Poppy." If the baby inside him wasn't ready to come out for cuddles, his oldest triplet would do nicely.

* * *

Louis went out and got pizza for dinner. It wasn't always on Harry's healthy food list, but every once in a while, he let that slide because it was something every single one of their girls would eat--so long as they got several pizzas with different toppings on each.

Bedtime went relatively smoothly, but Harry was exhausted by the effort. He and Louis collapsed on the sofa in the lounge and found a cheesy romantic comedy to watch. Rom-coms weren't Louis' favourite, but they were Harry's, and Harry was the one who was with large child. Besides, Harry fell asleep thirty minutes in, and Louis got to change the channel to a murder mystery he'd wanted to watch.

When the mystery had been solved, Louis woke Harry and spotted him on the stairs. While Harry got ready for bed, Louis checked on all eight of their girls to make sure they were sleeping soundly. Thankfully, they were.

Harry was already asleep when Louis slid under the duvet, so Louis did a quick scroll of his social media, then went to sleep himself.

The bedside clock on Harry's side of the bed read _12:01_ when he was unceremoniously woken by a searing pain in his lower back. He sat up straight and looked down at his bump. "You have got to be kidding."

At the sound of Harry's voice, Louis shot up out of his dead sleep. "What? Harry? Are you okay?"

Harry hoped Louis could see the wry expression on his face when he said, "It looks like we have quite the punctual baby on the way. That was my first contraction, at 12:01 on my due date."

"I guess due dates mean something now." Louis rubbed at his eyes. "Should we call anyone?"

"Not yet. That was just one contraction. Let's wait until they're closer together before calling anyone." Harry yawned widely. "I'd love to try to get a little more sleep before I have to start pushing."

In the moonlight, Harry could just make out Louis' nod. "Wake me if they get close enough you think we should call Mum. She knows we'll call no matter what time it is."

"I will," Harry vowed, already starting to lay back down.

Louis tucked the duvet around Harry's shoulders. "Try to rest. It's gonna be a long day."

"Believe me, I know."

* * *

Harry's contractions came far enough apart for him to get several hours of sleep, only broken up by a sharp pain now and then and a pitiful cry for attention from Briar Rose--which Louis attended to.

It was just around six a.m. that the contractions became just strong enough that Harry could no longer sleep. He laid still for fifteen minutes, revelling in the quiet of the house for what would likely be the last time for a while, given a baby would be joining them soon. Then he got up to go through his bathroom routine. By the time he was done with that, Louis was sitting on the edge of the bed, yawning in the too-bright light from his bedside lamp.

When he spotted Harry, he smiled softly. "You still look amazing."

With a smirk, Harry said, "Enjoy it while it lasts. I have not quite gotten to active labour."

"You'll look good even then," Louis countered.

Harry's smirk transformed into a smile. "Did you text your mum?"

"I did," Louis confirmed. "I told her we'd keep her posted, but that today looked like the day."

"Did she answer?"

"Of course she did," Louis responded, getting to his feet to head toward the bathroom. "She said to let her know when she should come over. I texted your mum, too. She has something going on with your uncle during the day, but she'll leave as soon as that's over to head down."

"Excellent." Harry was thrilled Louis was taking the lead on getting in touch with people.

Harry dressed in comfortable joggers and a loose t-shirt while Louis got himself ready. He heard stirring down the hallway and went to check out who it was.

He found the baby twins and the triplets all waking up. Louis appeared at his side just as he was attempting to get Poppy out of her crib. "No way, Haz. No lifting for you, remember?"

With a sigh, Harry nodded. This part of pregnancy he always disliked--not being able to do for his kids everything he wanted to. He guessed he should just be grateful that he wasn't put on bed rest this time, as he had for his last two pregnancies.

They divided to conquer. Louis lifted the triplets to the changing table one at a time, then Harry changed nappies. Louis was in charge of dressing the girls. Brighton and Lucy wandered in as Louis was finishing up the cycle with Briar Rose.

"Breakfast, Papa?" Lucy inquired.

Sophie appeared behind the twins. "I can help make breakfast."

"Sweet." Louis swung Poppy in one arm and Violet in the other. "Sophie, take Briar Rose, then we'll get right on to breakfast.

Sophie easily lifted the youngest of the triplets into her arms, then they headed downstairs, Sophie and Briar Rose first, then Louis with Poppy and Violet, and finally Harry, carefully negotiating the stairs. He had to stop once hallway to ride out a contraction.

Sophie helped get out the things they would need for a simple breakfast of cereal with milk while Louis got the triplets settled into highchairs. Harry sank into his own chair, trying to conserve his energy for later. Lily and Izzy showed up just as Louis was pouring cereal for Brighton an Lucy.

Harry sipped at some water as he made an announcement, now everyone was gathered in one place. "So, girls, it looks like the baby may be born today."

The older five girls all cheered wildly. The triplets just cheered because their older sisters were cheering.

"When's the baby coming?" Izzy asked, her mouth full of corn flakes.

"Next time, be sure to finish your bite before speaking," Louis corrected her gently. "We don't know exactly. It won't be for a little while yet. What do you think, H?"

"Yeah, I think it's going to be a few more hours," Harry concurred.

"Do we get to stay home from school?" Sophie wondered aloud.

Harry and Louis exchanged a questioning look. This was not something they'd decided on. The older two girls had been there when Brighton and Lucy were born, but not Izzy or the triplets. Izzy had been in the room for the twins, but young enough to not really be paying attention.

"What do you think, Harry?" Louis deferred to the one actually giving birth.

"I think that Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy should go to school just like always," Harry replied, raising his eyebrows to ask Louis if he agreed.

Louis nodded, while Izzy groaned. Thankfully, though, she did not vocalise an argument.

"Lily and Sophie, I think you're old enough to choose," Harry went on, watching Louis' face to make sure he agreed with this assessment.

Again, Louis nodded.

Lily and Sophie exchanged a look, then Lily--as was often the case--spoke for both of them. "Can we stay home?"

"You have to make sure you mind us and do what we tell you," Louis informed them. "Granny Jay will be here, but she'll be here to help Daddy, not play with you. Okay?"

Lily and Sophie both nodded sombrely.

"Then that's fine with me. H?" He met Harry's gaze, then waited.

"Fine with me," Harry responded.

"Excellent. So, Izzy, Brighton, Lucy, finish your breakfast and get ready for school," Louis directed. "Lily and Sophie, after you're done with your breakfast, can you help with tidying the kitchen?"

The elder twins nodded once more, then returned to their bowls of cereal, though those were on the verge of going soggy. To their credit, the girls did not complain, knowing they needed to be on their best behaviour this particular day.

Louis did the school run in record time, not wanting to leave Harry alone for too long. As he pulled back into the drive after dropping the school-goers off, his mum arrived. Louis greeted her with a tight hug before taking the large bags she was carrying.

"How's Harry doing?" Jay asked as Louis led the way to the door.

"He's doing okay. The contractions are still a good bit apart." Louis opened the door with his key, then gestured for his mum to go in first.

"I figured, but I decided I should go ahead and come over, just in case." She shrugged off her coat and toed off her shoes in the entry way.

As Louis set his mum's bags down to deal with his own jacket and shoes, he said, "That's perfect. Since our last single came quickly, maybe this one will, too."

Jay and Louis found Harry in the lounge, his feet up on the sofa, resting. The sounds of Lily and Sophie clearing the breakfast dishes clanged from the kitchen, and the triplets were playing in the area of the room they'd set up behind a large rectangle of gates.

After kissing the top of Harry's head, Jay inquired, "How's it going?"

"Okay. Contractions are about fifteen apart, but they're strong," Harry reported, moving his hand to the top of his bump. "I'm more than ready to get this baby out into the world."

"I'll bet," Jay commiserated, sinking into a nearby easy chair. "I called Tilly, and she'll come closer to the actual birth." Tilly was another midwife whose focus would be the baby, once it was born.

"Great." Harry wriggled to try to get more comfortable, tricky with his swollen belly. "Hopefully that will be sooner, rather than later."

"So, you sent the middles to school?" Jay concluded.

Louis nodded. "We decided cutting the numbers during at least part of the day would help."

"If you don't need anything at the minute, I'll just go say hello to my eldest granddaughters." Jay stood and straightened her shirt.

"I'm good," Harry assured her. "They're excited you're here for this."

Jay disappeared through the door that led to the kitchen, while Louis got up to check on the triplets, who were happily playing in their little area. Harry just closed his eyes to breathe through a contraction.

The morning passed slowly, but calmly. Lily and Sophie watched after and played with the triplets, while Jay kept track of all of Harry's vitals, including how dilated he was. It didn't even occur to Harry to be embarrassed. Jay had been there in person for the last two deliveries, not to mention on the phone for Izzy's. He was about four centimetres dilated--a bit to go before delivery.

When lunch time came, Harry was barred from the kitchen. Jay and Louis made sandwiches and soup for the twins, and they gave the triplets eggs and toast--currently the only thing the youngest girls would eat at midday. Staying in his spot on the sofa, Harry had some of the eggs, too, not wanting anything too heavy.

Lily and Sophie did the clean-up from lunch, again without complaint. Jay and Louis put the triplets down for their nap. Harry tried to nap, too, though it was difficult with the worsening contractions. He knew, though, that the more rest he could get in before delivery, the more energy he would have.

By the time the triplets woke up from their nap, Harry was six centimetres dilated, and he decided he wanted to move upstairs to their bedroom. After Louis got the bed prepared with some padding and a sheet that could be thrown out afterwards, he helped Harry up the stairs and got him comfortable on the bed.

For the next couple of hours, Harry divided his time between the bed and the birthing ball they'd had delivered earlier in the month. He also spoke to his mum, who thought she'd make it there in the evening, so either in time for or just after the birth. She sounded just as excited about meeting this grandbaby as she had been to meet her first two.

Harry was about seven centimetres dilated when they decided Louis should go pick up Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy a little early from school. They didn't want to risk Louis missing the birth because the baby started to arrive right about the time of school dismissal. While Louis was gone, Jay called Tilly, telling her it was nearing time. Tilly arrived just after Louis got home from the school run.

The three middle girls were disappointed that the baby hadn't come yet, but were easily pacified by a snack and permission to have extended screen time. They all settled in their bedrooms with their devices, and Louis could return his attention to Harry, now eight centimetres dilated. Jay predicted the baby would be there in no more than two or three hours.

Seeing as it was getting closer to teatime, then the bedroom routine, Louis called Lottie and Fizzy and asked if they'd be willing to come over now to tend to the little ones. They were prepared for the call, and said they'd be over within the hour. Normally, Harry would have enlisted Gemma's aid, but baby Maddy was still so little, he didn't like to ask her. Lottie and Fizzy could hold down the fort just fine.

They had a houseful, but by the time Harry reached the magic ten centimetres, everyone was taken care of.

Lottie and Fizzy were feeding the girls some supper, then Lily and Sophie had been directed to help their aunts get all their younger sisters ready for bed. If they were really lucky, the baby would be born before it was time to tuck the kids in and read them a story.

Tilly was poised to take care of the baby as soon as it was born, but it was Jay who was in charge of guiding Harry through delivery.

Louis piled pillows behind Harry's back, then settled in at his side to offer support as he got ready to push.

Harry met Louis' gaze and raised his eyebrows. "Ready to have nine kids?"

"Let’s do it." Louis grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed.

"On the next contraction, go ahead and push," Jay directed, stationing herself on a stool at the end of the bed.

Barely a minute later, a contraction washed over Harry, and he did exactly as instructed. He tucked his head down and pushed as hard as he could.

"That was wonderful, Harry," Jay praised him. "More like that and this little one will be here before you know it."

During the next push, a pair of screams came from next door--Brighton and Lucy's room. No doubt they were fighting over having to share or take turns, a daily occurrence where they were concerned. Harry looked in that direction helplessly, used to being the moderator.

"Lottie and Fizzy can deal with it," Louis told him. "And they'll let us know if something truly catastrophic happens. You need to focus on getting their sister or brother born."

Harry hauled in a deep breath and nodded. Despite the interruption, it was soothing doing this at home. When Izzy had been born at home, it had all been sudden and a little terrifying. This was much calmer, and he was surrounded by all the people he loved. Even his mum would be there soon.

When the next contraction came, he grabbed a hold of the back of his thighs and pushed with all his might, groaning with the effort. He did the same during the next three contractions.

He was in between pushes when Izzy appeared at the doorway, a finger over her mouth. She looked equal parts scared and curious about what was going on. She had been there when Brighton and Lucy were born, but she had been much younger and didn't seem to remember it.

"Hey, Iz," Harry croaked out, breathless.

Louis shifted his gaze to their third little girl. "Hey, Izzy. Everything okay?"

Izzy nodded. "Brighton and Lucy were fighting, but Aunt Lottie made them stop."

Shooting an _I told you so_ look in Harry's direction, Louis said, "Good."

"Is the baby here yet?" Izzy wanted to know, continuing to stand just inside the door.

"Not yet, but soon," Louis replied.

"I was born in here, right?" Izzy went on.

"You were," Louis confirmed.

"Gotta push," Harry interjected, wincing at the pain as he straightened his back and got another tight hold on the backs of his thighs.

"Do you want to stay, Izzy?" Louis asked, one eye on her, the other on Harry.

"Up by you," she answered.

"Well, come on then." Louis tilted his head back, inviting her over.

Izzy ran to stand behind Louis, making sure not to look at what was going on in Harry's nether regions.

There wasn't much in the way of movement during that push, given the distraction of Izzy. Harry was gearing up for more when Lottie popped her head in.

"Izzy. There you are," she stated, out of breath. She had clearly been hunting her missing niece.

"She's okay here, I think," Louis told her.

Lottie raised her eyebrows. "You sure?"

Louis nodded. "Yep. We've got this one. You and Fizz handle the other seven."

"Sure thing." Lottie disappeared once again.

Harry was exhausted already, but he knew he had to keep going. With a deep breath, he started to push at the very beginning of the next contraction.

"I see a head!" Jay cried. "Push, Harry, push!"

Harry gave it all he had, and a familiar searing pain let him know the baby's head was crowning. He screamed, making Izzy jump.

Louis kept one hand on Harry's thigh and gathered Izzy into his free arm. "Daddy's okay. Remember, we talked about how it hurts to have a baby, but that all of it's worth it because we get a new baby to love?"

Izzy nodded, clinging to Louis, but looking less frightened.

The head crowning meant gentle pushes, so Harry worked hard through the next couple of contractions to push firmly, but gently. Finally, he felt the moment the baby's head popped out.

"Head's out!" Jay exclaimed for the benefit of everyone except Harry. "Let me just clear its mouth, then you can push for the shoulders."

Harry was steeling himself for this last big push when movement at the doorway caught his eye. He smiled as Lily, Sophie, Brighton, and Lucy shuffled inside the room.

"Come on in, girls. Baby's almost here," Harry told them.

"We heard Nanny Jay say that the baby's head is out," Lily reported.

"In just a minute or so, we'll know if you have a brother or a sister," Louis told them. "Come on in."

Lottie and Fizzy appeared right behind them. "This okay?" Lottie checked with her big brother.

Louis glanced at Harry to make sure. When Harry nodded, Louis said, "Of course. Come stand with Izzy."

Lily kept Brighton in front of her, while Sophie tended to Lucy. Lottie placed Izzy in front of her, resting her hand on Izzy's right shoulders, Fizzy taking care of her left. Collectively, they held their breath as a contraction ran through Harry and he pushed as hard as he could for the baby's shoulders.

"Almost, Harry," Jay encouraged him. "One more big push."

Harry gathered every ounce of energy he had and pushed, pushed, pushed. He was rewarded with the effort when the baby slipped out of him into its grandmother's hands.

"It's a girl!" Jay announced, pure joy in her voice.

As she passed the baby through Harry's legs so he could lay her on his chest, murmurs of disappointment rose from the ranks. All Harry and Louis could focus on, though, was the beautiful baby girl Harry had just delivered.

She was tiny--much tinier than they had expected given Harry's size--but she was absolutely perfect. A cap of dark hair topped her head, she had a dainty little nose, a sweet rosebud mouth and, Louis noted, "Ten fingers and ten toes. You did an amazing job, H." He reached out to cup her head in his hand. "She's beautiful. Look at those big blue eyes."

As if she knew she needed to be an easy baby, Daughter Number Nine pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and rested her head right in the centre of Harry's chest.

"Come meet her, girls," Louis encouraged Lily, Sophie, Izzy, Brighton, and Lucy.

Almost as one, they shuffled over where they could get a good look at the newest member of their pack. Perhaps sensing she was on display, the baby shifted her head so her older sisters could get a good look at her face. Harry and Louis knew the moment they forgot it was another girl. A chorus of "Awww" rang through the room.

"She's so sweet," Lily said, craning her neck to get a good look.

"Her hair is very dark," Sophie noted, inching a little bit closer.

"What's her name going to be?" Izzy inquired.

Harry was opening his mouth to answer when a powerful contraction hit. "Ow!"

"You okay, love?" Louis immediately asked.

"That was a strong contraction." Harry winced. "The ones after aren't usually that big,"

"Maybe your belly is just ready to get this last part done with," Louis suggested.

Harry didn't even have time to answer. Another painful contraction ripped through him. He hissed through his teeth. "I need to push again. Get everything out now."

"Lottie, Fizzy, maybe you can take the girls out for just a few minutes," Jay directed, reaching for the scissors set on the floor near where she sat. "You can all visit with the new little one in just a bit."

Without a word, Lottie and Fizzy quickly ushered the five girls out.

"Go ahead and cut the cord, Louis." Jay handed the scissors over.

In the space of a minute, Louis cut the cord, Tilly took the baby from Harry, and Harry got into the right position to push out the afterbirth.

Jay resituated herself on the footstool she'd commandeered. "On the next contraction, go ahead and push."

That next contraction came within seconds. It hurt enough that Harry let out a little yelp before sucking in a deep breath and pushing. He screamed as he was stretched almost beyond the limit.

Jay gasped. "Oh my God."

Louis' eyes widened in alarm. "Mum? What's wrong?"

"Those contractions aren't for the placenta. I see a head down here. There's another baby."

Jay's words stunned Harry and Louis for a couple of seconds.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, panting with exhaustion. "I'm sure I heard you say there was another--"

He was cut off by the onset of another contraction, one that nearly winded him.

"Push gently, Harry," Jay ordered, straightening her back, all business.

Harry was still trying to process exactly what was going on, but he did as Jay told him, and he pushed gently, gently, gently. Three pushes and the surprise baby's head was out.

Jay cleared the baby's mouth and slightly repositioned its head for the next--and last--part. "Okay, Harry, I know you're completely knackered, but just one more big push, and your little stowaway will be here."

With a nod, Harry hauled in a deep breath and tucked his chin down. He didn't need to wait for another contraction. They were one on top of the other. He had no idea where he mustered the strength from, but he pushed with everything he had left, and he knew the moment the second baby left his body.

Jay was grinning from ear to ear as she held the baby in her arms. "It's a boy!"

A cheer arose from just outside the room.

"Say that again, Mum. Please?" Louis requested. "We've never heard that before. I want to savour it."

"It's a boy," Jay happily repeated. She threaded the baby through Harry's legs, and Harry rested the tiny being right where his sister had been a few minutes earlier.

"Well, hello there, little man." As he had done with his new daughter, Louis cupped the baby's head in his hand.

"So you're the reason I got so big." Harry chuckled. He looked over at Louis and scoffed. "I should have known better than to think I wasn't having multiples."

"Is now when I should apologise again for not following up after the vasectomy?" Louis inquired.

"You can do that later," Harry allowed. "I think we have a tiny horde out there who want to meet their brother."

"Come on in, girls!" Louis called.

Lottie and Fizzy were preceded into the room by five very excited girls. They all crowded around Louis, anxious for a glance at the surprise baby.

"He's gorgeous, Harry," Lottie said.

"He really is, H," Louis added, shifting his eyes back in the direction of the baby boy. "I can't believe we finally have a son."

"All those ultrasounds, though…." Harry trailed off and met Jay's gaze, hopeful she would have an explanation.

"Sometimes, they hide," she offered simply. "Looks like that one was just shy."

"I hate to break up the party," Tilly interrupted, "but your little girl is all cleaned up, and I should check her brother out now."

Louis cut the cord, and then Harry passed the baby boy to Tilly. Jay had his twin, and she passed her to Louis.

Harry moaned sharply just then. "Another contraction."

"I hope it isn't another baby," Louis remarked.

Without being asked, Lottie and Fizzy hustled the older girls out of the room one more time, and Jay checked Harry to see what was going on.

"Looks like just the placenta this time," she announced. "No more babies in there."

With a sigh of relief, Harry propped himself up and pushed just three times through manageable contractions to get the placenta out. Jay had been correct. No more babies.

By the time Harry had gotten himself readjusted, with a sheet pulled up to his waist, Tilly was done with their new baby boy. She brought him over and handed him to Harry.

"Both of them seem to be in great health," Tilly told Harry and Louis. "They're smaller than singletons, but you've had twins before, so you know the drill."

The men both nodded.

Tilly went on, "I'd just have them checked out by your paediatrician in the next day or two, just to make sure everything's good. Especially since one of them was a surprise."

"We will," Harry assured her.

"Harry, you're in good shape, too," Jay added. "It wouldn't hurt for you to be checked out, too, just to make sure."

"Oh, I will." He had some questions for the doctor on how it could have been missed that he was carrying twins for a third time.

Jay stood up, rubbing sanitizer into her hands. "Unless you need anything right this minute, we'll leave you two to have some alone time with your new babies. We'll try to keep the older ones away for just a little while longer."

"Thanks, Mum," Louis said.

"Thanks for everything, Jay." Harry smiled widely. "It means so much that you were the one to help deliver them."

Tears of happiness pricked the corners of Jay's eyes. "I'm so so honoured that you asked me."

Tilly and Jay slipped out of the room, then, shutting the door behind them.

Once they were alone with their newest little ones, Harry looked over at his husband. "There are two of them, Louis."

Louis chuckled, rocking their newborn daughter slowly. "So it would seem."

Harry looked down at their very first son. "What are we going to do with you, baby boy?"

"That little guy is going to get mothered to death," Louis predicted. "But I think I can teach him a thing or two about being the only boy in a houseful of girls."

"Our mums had sons, so hopefully they'll have good advice," Harry said. "If we should need it."

"Oh, I suspect we'll need it." Louis raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

Harry hiked their baby boy up enough to plant a kiss on his temple. "I guess we should give these two names."

"To be honest, I had assumed it would be a girl," Louis confessed. "I spent more time thinking of girl names."

Harry smiled softly and nodded. "Me, too."

"Any names you wrote down that you really liked?" Louis asked. "What would suit this little princess?"

Harry would never tire of the sight of Louis holding one of their children. Louis was cradling their baby girl close, still swaying her slowly. Harry looked closely at their new daughter's tiny face. "I had been thinking it might be fun to give her a name that started with 'Z,' since she's the last one."

Louis paused a moment to contemplate the suggestion. "I like that idea. Was there one you had in mind?"

"I think Zoey was on your list and mine. What do you think of that?"

After taking another moment to study the face of the tiny girl in his arms, Louis nodded. "I think that would work. What for a middle name? We've kind of used a lot of our relatives."

"We haven't honoured Robin yet," Harry pointed out. "We could call her Zoey Robyn, spelling each of those with a 'y.' What do you think?"

"I think that's perfect. And we can use Desmond for this little man's middle name," Louis stated.

"My dad would love that," Harry said, smiling at the thought. "But what about someone from your side?"

"We've honoured plenty of my family, and you're the one who's carried all these babies." Louis slowly rocked the baby in his arms. "No one is going to argue giving your family an extra mention."

"Okay, then. He just needs a first name." Harry stared into his only son's face. "It's too bad there's not a good name you can get from stowaway."

Louis laughed. He gasped directly after. "What about if we took a name from hijack? He kinda hijacked a ride along with his sister there."

"Hm." Harry thought back to his list. "What about Jackson? We could call him Jack or Jax, whichever seems more like him."

"The girls, no doubt, will choose there," Louis guessed. Lily and Sophie had, after all, been the first to call Isabelle Izzy.

"True. So, Jackson Desmond?" Harry tried the name out to see how it sounded aloud.

"Works for me," Louis concluded.

"We have ten children, Lou," Harry felt compelled to point out. "Ten."

"I guess we do," Louis was forced to concur.

Harry furrowed his brow and looked over at Louis, who was looking down at Zoey. "Does that seem excessive?"

Louis looked up and met his gaze. "Maybe to others, but I think it's just right for us. I love each and every one of them, including these two. Couldn't imagine it any different."

"I can't either." Harry gently bounced Jackson as he began to fuss. "You are such a sweet boy. We're so excited you're here."

"And we're excited you're here, sweet girl." Louis wanted to make sure their baby daughter wasn't overshadowed by her brother, more of a rarity than she was.

A hesitant knock of the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in!" Louis called.

Fizzy poked her head in. "Hi, guys. Sorry to disturb, but I have five anxious young ladies out here who really want to get a second look at their newest siblings."

"Is there an anxious aunt as well?" Louis teased. "Maybe even two?"

"And two grandmothers!" Anne popped her head in.

"Mum!" Harry beamed. "You made it!"

"Come on in, everyone!" Louis invited, scooching his chair back in preparation for the onslaught.

Their older daughters tumbled into the room first, followed by their Aunt Lottie, Aunt Fizzy, Nanny Jay, and Nanny Anne.

"I understand I have two new grandchildren to love," Anne said, putting her hands on Izzy's shoulders and peering down at the baby in Louis' arms.

"You do," Harry confirmed. "The little guy here was hiding inside all this time."

"My first grandson!" Anne exclaimed, shifting just a little to get a good look. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course." Harry handed the baby boy over, and she immediately kissed his forehead and cooed.

"Do they have names, Daddy?" Izzy wanted to know, having been interrupted earlier by her baby brother's arrival.

"They do," Harry told her.

Louis was lifting their daughter into Lottie's arms. "This is Zoey Robyn."

Anne teared up immediately. "Oh, my goodness. Robin will be so pleased."

"You're holding Jackson Desmond," Harry introduced his son.

"Your dad will be over the moon," Anne predicted, smiling at the thought.

"They're teeny tiny," Lucy noted as her Nanny Anne lowered Jackson down so she could see his face.

"You were, too," Anne told her. "Once upon a time."

"Now I am big," Lucy declared.

"So big." Anne nodded sagely. "Almost four."

Lily and Sophie were next to hold the new babies. They were old pros at cuddling with newborns.

As Sophie peered down at her first baby brother, she asked, "Are we calling him by his whole name? Jackson?"

Harry held up his hands and shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think?"

Lily, holding her eighth sister tight, interjected, " I think we should call him Jax. It's cool that we finally have a brother, and Jax is a pretty cool name."

"I agree with Lily. What do you think, Daddy and Papa?" Sophie wondered aloud.

"I think he'll love that his big sisters chose his nickname," Harry answered, grinning at them. "What do you think, Louis?"

"Zoey and Jax. Sounds perfect to me."

"I want a turn with a baby!" Izzy demanded.

Louis chuckled, watching Sophie pass Jax to Izzy. "So it begins, Zoey and Jax. You have so many big sisters to love you." When Jax began to whimper, Louis laughed again. "Whether you like it or not."

**@Louis_Tomlinson Harry and I have added yet again to our family. On December 15, at 6:38 pm and 6:44 pm, respectively, we welcomed Zoey Robyn and Jackson Desmond. If you're counting, that's one extra baby! We're so excited to have two new babies to love. All are happy and healthy. #Blessed #AndNowThereAreTen**

* * *

By midnight, the house was quiet. All of the children were asleep, including the newest. The baby twins, just five hours old, were settled into bassinettes, one on Harry's side of the bed, one on Louis'. Fortunately, they had not yet gotten rid of everything from their last set of twins, so they were able to get doubles of most of the stuff they'd gotten out to prepare for one baby's arrival.

Their extended family had retired to a nearby hotel with promises to return in the morning. They wanted to be there to help as much as they could when all of the girls--and their brother--were awake.

The only people awake were Harry and Louis. Harry was curled against Louis' body, and they were tucked under their duvet. The only sound in the room was the quiet breathing of two babies and their dads.

"I still can't believe there were two babies all that time," Harry whispered into the quiet.

"You did say you felt bigger the whole time," Louis said.

"How are we going to fit twelve people into this house?" Harry shifted, still incredibly sore from the delivery.

"One extra baby definitely messes up our plan." Louis chuckled. "Wait until Izzy figures out she's still the only single."

"I think we can play that in a positive way," Harry stated. "She really is unique of all the kids. She'll like us playing it up."

"Somewhere down the line, Jax is going to need his own room," Louis continued. "Not right away, of course, but sometime."

"As long as Jax can hang in there with Zoey until Lily and Sophie leave, we'll be good," Harry concluded.

"I suspect he can," Louis said. "Ernest shared with Doris for a long time with no problem."

Harry fell silent for a moment, and Louis thought he must have fallen to sleep. He was, therefore, startled when Harry's soft voice floated back to him. "I forgive you."

"Thank you," Louis responded automatically. He paused for a beat. "What for?"

"For messing up the vasectomy," Harry explained.

Louis smiled into Harry's curls. "I'm glad."

"They haven't even been here twelve hours, and I already can't imagine life without them," Harry said. He followed this pronouncement with a loud yawn.

"You must be totally knackered." Louis sighed. "I know I am. Maybe we should get some sleep before these two decide it's feeding time."

"Yes."

After Harry shifted once more to find a good position, Louis shared one last thought. "I can't imagine life without you. Thank you for our family."

The little snore that answered him told Louis he might just have to repeat the sentiment later. He smiled and let exhaustion carry him to sleep.

* * *

The newest twins woke Harry and Louis up for a feeding and a change somewhere in the two o'clock hour. Louis handled that one, telling Harry to rest. Harry didn't protest, not even weakly.

It was nearly seven when they woke again--Zoey first, then Jax. That time, Louis did the changing, then he made a bottle for each of them before returning to their bedroom. Harry held Jax and Louis took Zoey, and they fed them side by side.

The babies had barely begun to feast when there was a knock on their bedroom door.

"And so it begins," Louis whispered. "Now we really start to juggle."

Harry smirked. "I'm excellent at juggling. Come in!"

The door creaked open to reveal Brighton and Lucy.

"Papa and Daddy, can we see the new babies?" Lucy wanted to know.

Louis nodded. "Come on in, girls."

Brighton and Lucy fairly ran to the end of the bed and clambered on. Brighton insinuated herself next to Louis, while Lucy did the same to Harry.

"Stay calm," Louis warned them. "The babies are trying to eat."

As best they could, Brighton and Lucy tamped down their wiggles. They were mostly successful.

"Which baby is this?" Lucy asked, peering into the baby's face.

"This is Jax," Harry said.

"So, this one's Zoey?" Brighton concluded, staring at the baby Louis held.

"It is." Louis tilted Zoey's bottle a little more to give her better access. Both of the babies were feeding pretty well, thank goodness.

It wasn't five minutes later when Izzy appeared at the now-open door. "Good morning. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Harry told her. "Just be gentle getting on the bed. The babies are eating."

Izzy crawled slowly onto the bed, settling herself in between Brighton and Lucy, then looked from Zoey over to Jax. "They're super tiny."

"They're smaller than you were, Iz," Harry stated, "but just about the same as you two, Brighton and Lucy."

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "We were that small?"

"Oh yes," Louis assured her. "Though the triplets were even smaller."

"What about Lily and Sophie?" Izzy inquired.

"They were about this same size." Harry pulled the bottle away from Jax's mouth, readjusted his hold on the baby, then gave the bottle back to him just as he began to squawk in protest. "Izzy wins in terms of being the biggest baby."

Izzy beamed at the praise. Then she gasped, as if realising something. "I'm the only single."

Harry and Louis shared a grin with each other.

"You are," Harry said. "Our one and only."

"Does that mean I get my own room?" Izzy immediately wondered aloud.

It was Louis who burst her bubble. "Not straight away. But maybe when everyone's a little older, we can see about some switching around." Maybe it was finally time to truly consider adding on to the house.

Izzy frowned.

"Sorry, Izzy, but we're already dealing with finding room for our little surprise." Harry tilted his head to indicate the stowaway. "I promise we'll think about things down the road a little."

"Truly promise?" Izzy narrowed her eyes and met Harry's gaze.

"Truly promise."

A small ruckus in the doorway caused Harry and Louis to look up. They found Lily and Sophie standing there, holding hands with the triplets, who were straining to escape their grasp.

"They woke up," Lily explained.

"So, we went to get them," Sophie finished the very short story.

"Come on in, you lot," Louis invited, glad for their king-size bed.

Lily and Sophie walked the triplets over to the bed, then lifted them on one by one. First Violet, then Poppy, then Briar Rose. The eldest twins climbed up onto the bed after them, trying to corral them at the same time. Not an easy feat. All three of the triplets immediately wanted to see the babies they spotted in their dads' arms.

Poppy crawled right up into the space between Lucy and Harry. "Baby!"

Harry smiled. "Good job, Poppy. This is Jax."

"Ask," she repeated brightly.

Harry laughed at her attempt. "Close enough."

Violet tried to push herself in between Brighton and Louis, but Brighton didn't want any part of that and pushed her baby sister away. When Violet started to cry, Louis scolded Brighton. "She just wants a peek at the baby, just like you. Let her in."

Brighton pouted, but did as her papa asked. "Come on, Violet."

Triumphantly, Violet crawled back and placed her hands on Louis' forearm, peering at the new baby girl he was still feeding. "Baby!"

"This is Zoey," Louis introduced.

"Zo," Violet attempted.

"Excellent," Louis praised, before meeting Briar Rose's gaze. The youngest of the triplets was sitting calmly in front of Lily. "Do you want to see the new babies, too, B?"

Briar Rose nodded, and she crawled right up to where Louis' knees jutted up under the duvet.

"This is Zoey, Briar Rose," Louis told her. "And Daddy is holding Jax."

More gently than Louis would have thought, Briar Rose stuck her little hand out to pat Zoey's head.

"You're such a sweet big sister, B." Louis smiled down at the one-and-a-half-year-old who had been their youngest just a little over twelve hours earlier.

"You're all such good big sisters," Harry said proudly. "We're so proud to be your fathers."

The older girls blushed and squirmed at the praise, but they all smiled.

"We're going to be counting on everyone to pitch in now that we have five kids under two here," Louis warned. "But we know you'll all do your part, yeah?"

The older girls who had been squirming a moment earlier nodded vigorously.

"We'll help, Papa," Lily promised.

"I'll even change diapers," Sophie vowed bravely. "Even stinky ones."

Harry and Louis couldn't help but laugh.

As they looked around at the ten children sprawled on their bed, giggling and smiling, Harry and Louis knew their life would be even crazier than it had ever been before. There would be joy, there would be tears, there would be arguments, there would be moments to cherish forever. They were lucky. Luckier than anyone else in the world.

End (16 August 2020)


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